MEADOW PIPIT. 1S5 



side is dark brown, with a small patch of white at the tip 

 of the inner web; the other six feathers are blackish brown, 

 with olive-coloured edges in the season; the upper tail coverts, 

 brown or olive, are long, covering more than half of the tail. 

 Legs and toes, light brownish yellow; claws, dusky, darker in 

 age; the hind toe is slender, slightly curved, and is as long 

 as the toe: its tip is light-coloured, and almost transparent. 



The female closely resembles the male, but is rather smaller. 

 Length, from five inches and three quarters to six inches. 

 The wings expand to the width of from nine inches and a 

 half to ten inches. 



The young birds of the first year have the olive and yellow 

 tint assumed in autumn by their parents. 



There is, at all events in some individuals, a partial moult 

 in the spring, in March or April, owing possibly to their 

 accidental loss of feathers, or the state of their health. 



Mr. W. Thompson, of Belfast, describes a beautiful variety 

 of this species as follows: The crown of the head, beautiful 

 rich primrose yellow, which colour also broadly edged the 

 white feathers of the back, and those of the upper surface of 

 the wings and tail. The throat and under side of the neck 

 were pure white. One wing was very handsome, the four 

 first quills being pure white, the next four of the usual dark 

 colour, and the remainder pure white. One half of the tail 

 feathers were wholly white, excepting the margins, which were 

 broadly edged with primrose yellow. The lower part of the 

 breast, and a few odd feathers here and there were of the 

 ordinary colour. The bill and legs were paler in hue than 

 usual. 



