n6 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



and also flies up into the air to utter its song, which is de- 

 scribed by Mr. Seebohm as being like that of the Meadow- 

 Pipit, but not so sweet : its call-note also resembles that of the 

 latter bird. 



Nest. Composed of dry grass, with some moss, lined with 

 fine roots, and occasionally with horse-hair or wool. 



Eggs. Four or five in number. The ground-colour is dull 

 white, obscured by the closely-set mottlings and numerous dots 

 of purplish-brown, sometimes clouding round the larger end, 

 where there are hair-like lines of black. Another type of egg 

 is more like that of a Wagtail, wherein the brown spots are 

 more sparsely distributed, except at the larger end, where they 

 collect, the greyish underlying markings being also very dis- 

 tinct. Both brown- and grey-tinted eggs occur in the same 

 clutch. Axis, o'S-o'9 inch ; diam., 0-65. 



THE ROCK-PIPIT. ANTHUS OBSCURUS. 



Alauda obscura, Lath. Ind. Orn., ii., p. 494 (1790). 



Anthus aguaticus, Macg., Br. B., ii., p. 194 (1839). 



Anthus obscurus. Newt. ed. Yarr., i., p. 586 (1874); Dresser, 

 B. Eur., iii., p. 342, pi. 141 (1877); B. O. U. List Br. B., 

 P- 35 (1883); Seeb., Br. B., ii., p. 244 (1884) ; Sharpe, Cat. 

 B. Brit. Mus., x., p. 599 (1885); Saunders, Man., p. 135 

 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B., pt. xviii (1891). 



Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. Olive brown above with dark 

 centres to the feathers; throat dull white; under surface of 

 body whitish, very thickly mottled with dark brown centres to 

 the feathers; wing-coverts tipped with dull white; light pattern 

 of outer tail-feather smoky-brown ; the penultimate feather also 

 smoky-brown at the tip ; bill black ; feet fleshy-brown ; iris 

 brown. Total length, 6'S inches; culmen, 0*7; wing, 3*45; 

 tail, 2 -6; tarsus, 0-95. 



Adult Female. Similar to the male, but less spotted under- 

 neath. Total length, 6-4 inches; wing, 3-35. 



Winter Plumage. Resembles the summer plumage, but is 

 more olive ; a narrow moustachial line of blackish-brown, 

 widening out on to the sides of the lower throat ; throat dull 

 white, marked with olive ; fore-neck and breast olive, the 



