486 ORNITHOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS IN SIKHIM, 



bill at front '42 ; *44 ; '45. A Chinese example, lent me by Mr. 

 Seebohm, has the wing 3'48 ; tail, 2*6 ; tarsus, "9 ; bill, •43. In 

 colour and mode of breast-spotting, it perfectly accords with my 

 Indian-killed ones. 



This species differs from spinoletta in the colder and grej^er 

 brown of upper parts, and in the large bold breast spots ; from 

 blakistoni, by the darker and colder upper surface, and the bold- 

 ly spotted breast. 



I first procured it at Darjeeling in December. Near Darjee- 

 ling is the Senchal hill, which is about 8,500 feet high. On the 

 top of this hill, and at its western end, is a bare grassy tract, 

 and on this some barracks were built. The barracks are all 

 dismantled, and only portions of the walls and the chimneys 

 are standing. I saw a flock of Pipits feeding on the ground 

 inside and outside one of these old houses^ and on being alarm- 

 ed, they flew up and perched on the chimney tops. They were 

 very shy, and I could not get near enough to make sure of 

 one with the charge of dust-shot that was in my small '24- 

 bore gun. They flew from place to place, giving me much 

 trouble, but I wanted to identify the species, thinking they 

 might perhaps be rosaceus ; but I was rather struck with the 

 shrill and very pratensis-like note. 



A fog came on, or a cloud rather, which is the same thing 

 on the top of a mountain, and this made the Pipits more wary 

 than before. Through the fog they looked as large as Thrushes, 

 and became more tempting to me than ever. I could not see 

 where they went in the fog as they flew off, but when I 

 happened to come near them, they always began to utter their 

 note. 



At last I thought I was within shot of one fellow, who sat 

 on a stone with outstretched neck, and quite ready to fly and 

 take the whole flock with him. I drew both triggers at once, 

 and soon had the satisfaction of seeing my friend performing 

 a series of somersaults, and on running up I saw a new Pipit 

 with a wonderfully spotted breast. I spent an hour or two 

 about the place searching for the flocks, but to no purpose. A 

 day or two after I went again, and spent the whole day there, 

 but I never saw the Pipits there again. The flock of about 

 twenty had just been passing the place. 



In the Punjab, at Mooltan, I went to some irrigated wheat 

 fields. The wheat was about 6 inches high. This was in 

 January ; and these fields were full of Pipits. I shot several, 

 and they proved to be Anthus blakistoni, and as I had only 

 obtained females down country, I was glad to get a fine series 

 of males. After shooting a few, I shot one that turned out to 



