The Zoologist— February, 1870. 2021 



The Pennaylvnnian Pipii, ^-r., at Bridlington. — The enclosed letters refer to a 

 bird whicl) I shot on llie 20ili of November, and which, on referring to Bree's ' Birds 

 of Europe,' Dr. Bmilton, of Beverlry, Sir H. Boynton and myself decided was the 

 t;iwny pipit {Aulkiis riifescens). I, however, communicated the capture to Dr. Bree, 

 and liavinjf sent the bird for his inspection, you will observe that he and Mr. Sclater 

 jironouuce it to be the Peniisylvaniaii pipit {A. Ludovicianus). 



«' East Hill, Colchester, December 21 , 1869. 



" My dear Sir — I must apologise for not answering your letter in reference to the 

 pipit sooner, but the fact is the bird is a puzzle: this is, I conceive, owing to its 

 moulting condition. After careful examination I came lo the conclusion thai it is the 

 Anilius Ludovicianus of my ' Biids of Europe.' The tail-feathers, however, being those 

 (if A. rufeseens, I sent the specimen up to Dr. Sclater, the Secretary of the Zoological 

 Society, from whom I had the type specimen of A. Ludovicianus figured in my work. 

 From his reply you will see that Dr. Sclater confesses himself unable to decide the 

 mailer, but thinks I am right, and sends down the specimen I figured for me to com- 

 pare : — ' Dear Sir — 1 return the box with the pipit. It is certainly very like a faded 

 specimen of A. Ludovicianus; but I am not sufBciently acquainted with this very 

 difficult group lo give you a decided opinion. I send you the skin you figured, which 

 is from California, that you may form your own opinion. Yours, &c., P. L. Sclater.' 

 I will state to you the ■pros and cons. I never saw a tawny pipit in any plumage so 

 thoroughly olive-green as your specimen, but still when the bird is taken out of the 

 case there are the reinains of real lawny colouring on the primaries, and the two outer 

 tail-feattiers are those of Anthus rufeseens. The claw, however, of the hind toe is 

 against us; it is longer than the toe, and this is a character of A. Ludovicianus: and 

 again, your specimen is in all its measurements, length, lengih of wjng from carpal 

 joint, tarsus and beak, exactly those of A. Ludovicianus, which is altogeiher a snjaller 

 bird than the tawny pipit, and the beak is slighlly declinated or curved at the 

 extremity of the upper mandible — another character of A. Ludovicianus. The group 

 is a very difficult one, but I think we may pronounce your specimen one of A. Ludo- 

 vicianus in moulting plumage. The only other species likely to be confounded with 

 it is our meadow pipit, but the hind claw decides ihis at a glance. I will send the 

 bird down lo Beverley to-day. Pray make use of this letter in any communication 

 you may make lo the ' Zoologist.' * * * Believe me, &c., C 11. Bkee. 



" PS. — You will notice that the base of the second tail-ftaUier on ils outer web is 

 dark : usually in A. Luvovicianus the second feather is merely spotted wiih white at 

 the end." 



You will gather from Dr. Bree's pros and cons a description of the bird, with ihis 

 exception, that the colour of the legs and feet is (or at least was when newly shot) 

 a pale flesh, and this corresponds with A. rufeseens. If you would like to see the bird 

 I shall be glad lo forward it to you for inspection. The pipit is a male bird, and was 

 shot abcuil three miles lo the soiiih of Bridlington, on the coast, and appeared to be 

 feeding at the time on a sand-hill near to some long coarse grass. I have also 

 received the following birds during ilie summer and autumn, vj^-. : — Sandwich tern 

 (Stetna Boi/sii), shut on the lllh of .'August, at Bridlington Quay, by Mr. Walking- 

 ion; a pair of dotterel {Charudrius morinellus), shot by Mr. G. Crowe, North Dale, 



