238 LIST OF BIRDS IN MANIPUR, 



I wanted, after which I went, but at night when examining 

 the birds I found that they were a female of 6ia7asiom and 

 a male of the species referred hitherto to ludovicianus {vide 

 VIII, 485). 



There are three very closely allied forms of Water Pipits with 

 dark legs, which, in India at any rate, are not yet by any 

 means well known, and which may yet in winter plumage be 

 discriminated at a glance. 



Breast spots. General tint of upper Striations on up- 

 surface. per surface 



(1). A, spinoletta ... Brown, large, rather Brown ... Feeble & vague. 



hazy. 

 (2). A, blakistoni... Brown, small, rather Rather lighter Well defined. 



well defined. brown 



(3). A. ludovicianus Blackish large, Much darker 



^ (apud Brooks) crowded, strongly brown ... Obscure, 



marked. 



Now as regards the first I am doubtful if it does occur in 

 India. Its occurrence depends upon two or three specimens 

 I have from the Punjab in full breeding plumage which may 

 belong to this species, European specimens of which they 

 closely resemble, or to blakistoni, of which I have no eastern 

 specimens in breeding plumage. Anyhow all the large series 

 1 have of this form of Pipit in winter plumage are clearly 

 hlaJcistoni. I know that many people unite this latter and 

 spinoletta (Verreaux identified specimens of the former which 

 I sent him home to name as the latter), but when a good 

 series of both in winter plumage are compared (as I have 

 just compared about twenty of one and fifty of the other), 

 it seems inconceivable that such a mistake should occur. A 

 child could be taught in five minutes to separate them with 

 absolute certainty. 



To return : I never saw any of these dark-legged Pipits 

 again. I returned the next day to the place where I believed I 

 had shot them (though I could not be quite sure, as I had shot 

 nearly two hundred birds of sorts that day), but could 

 not find any. I may have missed the place, or they 

 may have been migrating, but they must, I think, be rare, as 

 their dark legs caught my eye as they rose, and would have 

 done so I think had I previously seen them, and after this 

 I kept a good look-out for them, yet never saw any more. 



I have no record as yet of the occurrence of this species in 

 either Assam, Sylhet, Oachar, or any part of British Burmah. 



60^sext. — Anthus ludovicianus, Gm. 



This is the species thus identified by Brooks, see his 

 interesting remarks, VIII; 485. I have this shot by him both 



