58 BRITISH BIRDS. 



paler at base ; tarsi brown ; claws dusky, hind one 

 more curved than in A. spipoletta, and scarcely so long. 

 Length 6 '60. Plumage rather darker in winter than in 

 spring. Female identical. 



Tolerably common on all the rocky coasts of British 

 Isles ; to the flat shores of east side it is a winter visitor. 

 Nest : placed in crevices of rocks, or often in a grass-tuft 

 on a rock-ledge or declivity ; composed of seaweed and 

 grasses, with a lining of finer grass. Eggs : 4 or 5 ; light 

 greenish-grey, closely mottled with dark olive-brown ; 

 there is also a reddish variety, but it is rare ; size '85 by 

 "62. It is often seen searching for small crustaceans, etc., 

 among sea-refuse cast up on the beach ; usually very 

 silent, but when disturbed will fly a few yards uttering a 

 shrill peep, peep. 



71. Anthus rupestris, Nilss. SCANDINAVIAN 



ROCK-PIPIT. 



Hab. Norway. 



This brighter northern form is undoubtedly a valid 

 species. The most important distinction is that, in 

 breeding plumage, the throat and breast show a bright 

 pinkish-buff tinge, which, however, is lost in winter, 

 although at latter season both upper and under parts are 

 distinctly paler than in A. obscurus. At all seasons, 

 moreover, greater and lesser wing-coverts show more 

 pronounced bumsh-white tips, while the whitish stripe above 

 eye is much more apparent. Length 6*20. According 

 to the late E. T. Booth this form used^to visit Sussex in 

 some numbers during spring migration, and a few 

 occurrences are also recorded from other parts of England, 

 but at the present time it appears to be a rare straggler to 

 our shores. A case of examples in breeding plumage may 

 be seen in the Booth collection at Brighton. 



