344 THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 



154. American Pipit [AMERIKANISCHER PIEPER]. 

 ANTHUS LUDOVICIANUS, Gmelin. 1 



Anthus ludovicianus. Naumann, xiii. ; Blasius, Nachtrage, in. 



Pennsylvanian Pipit. Dresser, iii. 331. 



American Pipit. Audubon, Syn. of Birds of North Amer., 94. 



This is another species which, in virtue of two examples killed 

 in Heligoland, has acquired the right of honorary citizenship of 

 Europe. The first of these birds was shot on the 6th of November 

 1851 by a native gunner, whose attention was attracted by the, to 

 him, unknown call-note of the bird. It was an individual in fresh 

 autumn plumage. The second was killed on the 17th of May 

 1858 by the merest accident. A boy begged a shooter to let him 

 fire a shot from his gun ; he pointed the latter at one of the many 

 Pipits that were running about, killing one which proved to be a 

 female of this species in beautiful spring plumage. Hitherto no 

 other instance of the occurrence of this species in Europe has been 

 made known. It was believed to have been obtained in England, 

 but all such examples turned out to be Rock Pipits. 



According to Audubon, this bird breeds very numerously in 

 Labrador and the Hudson Bay Territory (fur countries). An 

 example was shot, during the Vega Expedition, on the Tchukchi 

 Peninsula on the 10th June 1879. 



155. Meadow Pipit [WIESENPIEPER]. 

 ANTHUS PRATENSIS, Bechstein. 2 



Heligolandish : Liitj Harrofs = Little Pipit. 



Anthus pratensis. Naumann, iii. 774. 



Meadow Pipit. Dresser, iii. 285. 



Pipit farlouse. Teruminck, Manuel, i. 269, iii. 190, iv. 635. 



This little Pipit specially belongs to those species which 

 are most numerously, and during the greater part of the year, 

 represented in Heligoland. In 1885 its migration commenced as 

 early as the 24th of February, and lasted, not counting solitary 

 stragglers, until the 20th of May. It returns on the autumn 

 migration as early as the end of August ; it is of very frequent 

 occurrence during September, and appears in the course of October 

 often in quite incredible quantities, frequenting then chiefly the 

 fields and grass-plots of the Upper Plateau. Throughout November 



1 A nthus pensilvanicus (Latham). 2 Anthus pratensis (Linn.). 



