RICHARD'S HPIT. 437 



bird, one of which was taken alive in Copenhagen Fields, 

 near London, which I believe is intended to refer to the 

 example recorded by Mr. Vigors : the other was taken 

 near Oxford. The British Museum also contains a British 

 specimen, recently added to the collection, which is said to 

 have been killed at Bermondsey ; and Mr. W. Proctor, the 

 curator of the Durham University Museum, informs me 

 that he shot a specimen of this bird on the 1 3th of February, 

 1832, near Howick, on the Northumbrian coast, which is 

 now in the collection of the Rev. Thomas Gisborne, of 

 Yoxall Lodge, Staffordshire. 



Since then four examples are recorded to have been 

 killed in Cornwall ; four in Devonshire ; two in Kent, and 

 three in Norfolk. 



The habits of this species, as far as the peculiarities of so 

 rare a bird can be known, for it is equally scarce on the 

 Continent, are said to be very similar to those of the other 

 Pipits. It is mostly observed on the ground, where it 

 stands very high, and runs with facility, waving the tail up 

 and down with a gentle airy motion, like that observed in 

 the Wagtails ; while its long hind claw, but slightly curved, 

 connects it with the Larks. So scarce is this species in 

 foreign collections, that M. Temminck appears to have seen 

 but two specimens ; examples, however, have been obtained 

 in Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Malta. This bird 

 was named Ricardi in compliment to a very zealous amateur 

 of ornithology, who first made known an example captured 

 in Lorraine in autumn ; the bird has also been taken in 

 Picardy. M. Savi says, that three specimens only were 

 known to him as having been obtained in Italy ; and this 

 species probably inhabits the countries south of the Medi- 

 terranean from whence stragglers occasionally visit the 

 southern parts of Europe. B. Hodgson Esq. has found it in 



