106 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



marked spots, the principal ones being reddish- or purplish- 

 brown, and the underlying markings purplish-grey. Axis, 075 

 -0-9 inch; diam., o*6o-*65. 



THE MEADOW-PIPIT. ANTHU3 PRATENSIS. 



Alcntda pratensiS) Linn., S. N., i., p. 287 (1766). 



Anthus pratensis, Macg., Br. B., ii., p. 181 (1839); Newt. ed. 

 Yarr., p. 575 (1874); Dresser, B. Eur., iii., p. 285, pi. 

 132 (1874) ; B. O. U. List Br. B., p. 32 (1883) ; Seeb., Br. 

 B., ii., p. 224 (1884) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus., x., p. 580 

 (1885) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B., pt. ix. (1888) ; Saunders, 

 Man., p. 125 (1889); Wyatt, Br. B., ix., fig. i (1894). 



Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. Olive-brown above, with 

 blackish centres to the feathers, those on the mantle with 

 whitish margins ; rump uniform ; eyelid and eyebrow pale 

 sandy-buff; throat uniform tawny-buff, as also the breast, 

 which is thickly streaked with black triangular spots, which 

 become narrower on the lower breast ; flanks washed with 

 olive and broadly streaked with black ; abdomen, vent, 

 and under tail-coverts isabelline white ; axillaries smoky- 

 brown, washed with olive-yellow ; upper wing-coverts with con- 

 spicuous margins of dull white ; quills externally olive ; light 

 pattern of outer tail-feathers white. Total length, 5*75 inches; 

 culmen, 0*5; wing, 3*15; tail, 2^45; tarsus, 0*85. 



Adult Female. Similar to the male, but smaller and less 

 strongly spotted below. Total length, 6 inches; wing, 2^95. 



Autumn and Winter Plumage. More decidedly olive-brown in 

 colour, the black spots on the under surface strongly marked 

 and the olive-yellow on the axillaries very plain. 



Young, Like the adults, but more dingy, less olive, and the 

 black streaks on the upper surface broader ; a distinct mous- 

 tachial streak of black, as well as two more stripes on the sides 

 of the throat. 



NOTE. The Meadow-Pipit is known by its small size, and nearly straight 

 hind claw, which is longer than the hind toe itself. 



Range in Great Britain. Universally distributed, frequenting 

 the uplands as well as the lowlands in summer, but occurring 



