The Zoologist — March, 1870. 



2067 



plutnage, but one is, I imagine, a somewhat older bird than the olber, and agrees 

 exactly with a Yarmouth specimen in the Norwich Museum, also killed in the winter. 

 One of ihe hind claws in the bird obtained on the 1st of December, measured exactly 

 one inch, and was so fine at the point that one cannot wonder that tiiis claw should 

 be so often found imperfect; and not only the length but the curvature of the claw 

 varies much in different examples. I was unfortunately absent from home at the time, 

 and missed the opportunity of examining these birds in the flesh, but my friend 

 Mr. Southwell and Mr. Guuu together dissected the first, and took its measurements 

 in the flesh, and Mr. Gunn did the same with the second bird ; and the results of their 

 examinations, which have been kindly placed at my disposal, are embodied in the 

 following table, to which Mr. Gunn has added the measurements of a Richard's pipit 

 killed at Yarmouth in 1866, taken by himself at that time, and also the comparative 

 measurements of examples of the rock, tree and meadow pipits, and of two recently- 

 killed shore larks. 



Total length . . . 

 Extent ol winys . . 

 Wing from flexure . 

 Bill along ridge . . 



Tarsus 



Middle toe and claw 



Hinder claw . . . 



Weight, in grains 



Including the two specimens here recorded six have now been procured in Norfolk ; 

 the first on the 22nd of November, 1841 ; another in April, 1842; one in April, 1843 ; 

 and one on the 28lh of December, 1866 ; showing that the bird, though an accidental 

 visitant to our coast, occurs both in spring and autumn, but whence it comes to us so 

 late in the year is a difficult point to determine. It is perhaps worth noting that when 

 the last specimen was killed here in December, 1866, several shore larks were procured 

 about the same lime ; and such has again been the case this winter — a southern and a 

 northern species thus meeting, as it were, on our eastern coast. The great difference 

 in size of examples of this pipit is also remarkable. Yarrell gives the whole length of 

 a male as 7f inches, whilst Mr. Fisher, in the 'Zoologist' (Zool. 181), gives the length 

 of two of the earlier Norfolk birds as 1\ inches and 7f inches respectively, the three 

 lusi varying from 8 inches to 8i inches. — Henry Stevenson. 



The Pipit shot at Bridlington. — At my request Mr. Boynton most obligingly for- 

 warded me the little pipit shot by him at Bridlington. I am not surprised that my 

 friend Dr. Bree should have felt puzzled to identify the bird, for it is certainly in a 

 most abnormal slate of plumage. Being almost as familiar with Anlhus ludovicianus 



* G. measurements taken by Gunn; T. S. those taken by Thomas Southwell. 



