AKTIIUS. 301 



Length about 6-5 ; tail 2-7 ; wing 3*1 ; tarsus -85 ; bill from 

 gape '75 ; hind toe and claw '6. 



Distribution. A somewhat rare winter visitor to all parts of the 

 Empire except the portion lying west of a line drawn roughly 

 from the Sutlej valley to the head of the Gulf of Cambay. This 

 species extends to Ceylon and is also found in the Andamans. In 

 winter it ranges down the Malay peninsula to the larger islands 

 and eastward to Siain and Southern China. In summer this 

 Wagtail retires to Northern China and Eastern Siberia. 



Genus ANTHUS, Bechst., 1807. 



The genus Anihus contains the Pipits, which may be recognized 

 by their streaked upper plumage and comparatively short tail. 



The Pipits are found over nearly the entire world. They 

 resemble each other greatly in their pattern of colour, and con- 

 sequently they are difficult to describe, and in fact long descriptions 

 of them are useless, their identification depending entirely on a 

 few characters which are easily learnt. Each species is very con- 

 stant to one type. The young are very much spotted beneath and 

 these spots become reduced in size and number at each successive 

 spring moult and in a few species disappear altogether, the lower 

 plumage in these adults becoming uniform. The difference be- 

 tween summer and winter plumage in the Pipits is very slight, 

 and in my opinion it is useless attempting to treat the two plum- 

 ages as distinct, although some authors do so. I have, therefore, 

 only described the bird in its fresh autumn plumage. In summer 

 this plumage becomes abraded and faded, and the black marks on 

 the upper plumage more pronounced. Those Pipits which have 

 bright colours about the head and breast assume this colour slowly 

 and permanently and not seasonally. 



The Pipits frequent the ground, but a few species occasionally 

 perch on trees and even run along the larger boughs in pursuit of 

 insects. They build their nests on the ground and lay eggs which, 

 like those of the Wagtails, are much spotted with brown. The 

 sexes are invariably alike. 



Key to the Species. 



n. Hind claw not exceeding hind toe in length. 

 a'. Pale tip of inner web of penultimate tail- 

 feather very small, less than a quarter 

 the length of feather; next feather 

 never tipped. 



a". Streaks on lower plumage large and 

 black, well defined ; light parts of 

 tail-feathers white. 



'". Upper plumage brown with very 

 large streaks ; supercilium fulvous 

 throughout A. trivialis, p. 302. 



