CORYDALLA RICH AUDI. 623 



it from Bardwan, Nowargarh, and Karial, and that Mr. Cripps says that it is common in Furreedpore. At 

 Assensole, on the borders of the province of Chota Nagpur, it is, according to Mr. Brooks, not so common as 

 its two congeners next referred to here. We do not find it recorded from the hill-districts in Southern India ; 

 but this is only natural, as it is essentially a bird of the low country. In the dry north-west of India it does 

 not seem to locate itself at all, as it is not found in Sindh or Rajpootana ; in fact, as regards this part of 

 Asia, it has more of an easterly than a -westerly distribution. On the opposite side of the Bay it evidently 

 locates itself near the coast, as Mr. Oates did not find it up country in Pegu, whereas Dr. Armstrong says that 

 it is extremely abundant in the paddy-fields near Elephant Point in the Irrawaddy delta ; it likewise occurs in 

 the maritime province of Tenasserim, in all cultivated and open lands throughout it. In the Andamans it was 

 procured at Pt. Blair in April, but was not met with so far south as the Nicobars. It has been met with in 

 Siam, and is found throughout China in the winter, also in Hainan, and rarely in Formosa. 



Turning northwards now, in order to trace out its summer quarters, I observe that Dr. Scully states 

 that it is a seasonal visitant to the plains of Eastern Turkestan, where it breeds ; he observed it there in June 

 and July, but not in winter. Further east, in the little-known regions which he explored, Col. Prjevalski 

 states that it breeds in limited numbers at Kan-su in Mongolia, and that it is tolerably abundant at Lake 

 Hanka from the end of April until the beginning of September. It breeds on the steppes, avoiding the tall 

 thick grass of the marshes. Mr. Seebohm found it breeding in great numbers on the Yenesay, and 

 Dr. Dybowski met with it in Dauria. Severtzoff did not meet with it in Western Turkestan, nor does it 

 appear to inhabit Palestine, although it is said to visit Smyrna by Dr. Kriiper. As regards North-eastern 

 Africa, Shelley says nothing of it in Egypt, nor does Mr. T. Drake mention it as having been seen by him 

 in Morocco. On the European side of the straits, however, we have Col. Irby's evidence as to its occurrence 

 at Gibraltar in passing in April, from which we infer that it must also be found on the African side 

 too. Its distribution in Europe is somewhat noteworthy, for it seems to confine itself to the countries just on 

 the north of the Mediterranean, on the east of which it inhabits South-eastern Russia and on the west France, 

 straying into England and up to Heligoland, and thence into Sweden and Norway (where it has very rarely 

 occurred) ; whereas in the intervening region of Central Europe it is almost unknown, it having only once 

 been met with there, and that near Vienna. Mr. Saunders obtained it at Malaga; and one of the first few 

 examples ever procured came from the Pyrenees. In France and Lombardy it is well known ; in fact it was 

 described by Vieillot from specimens procured in Lorraine in 1815 by M. Richard ; while in Lombardy it is said 

 by Signor Bettoni to be a characteristic species. To England it is of course a visitor, arriving in autumn and 

 departing in spring; and since the first specimen made known to science was obtained near London in 1812, 

 about sixty have been recorded. It has chiefly, according to Professor Newton in his edition of Yarrell, 

 occurred in the southern counties from Kent round to Cornwall, even having occasionally found its way to 

 the Scilly Islands. Mr. John Hancock records three examples in his interesting catalogue as having occurred 

 in Northumberland, and it has also been procured in Shropshire and Staffordshire. 



Habits (Ceylon). — This Pipit is usually found consorting in scattered company with the common Titlark, 

 C. rufula. It frequents pastures, particularly those covered with short grass or on which cattle are much 

 fed, bare ground in the Jaffna peninsula, cheenas in the forest, and marsh-land. To the latter sort of locality, 

 however, in Ceylon it is certainly not so partial as to the barest ground, although it has been named 

 the "Marsh-Pipit." I have generally found it in long grass on wet marshes, either just after its arrival or 

 before leaving the island for northern climes. It is a handsome bird in its carriage, holding itself erect, 

 running swiftly, and frequently mounting on to some little eminence, where it stands pluming itself, and iu 

 this attitude is very apt to deceive the eye as to its size. It has a soft-sounding yet louder note than C. rufula, 

 and constantly utters it, both on the ground and when flying with its rapid undulating flight from one spot 

 to another. It is as fond of dusting itself on roads as the next species, and on the Galle face, Colombo, 

 where it is common, becomes discoloured with the red Kabook soil. It feeds on worms and grasshoppers, and 

 often seizes a passing butterfly or insect on the wing. 



Mr. Brooks, who has devoted much attention to this species and C. striolata, has some interesting notes 

 on his observations of it at Assensole in Bengal. He remarks that there it is particularly shy and difficult 

 to shoot, and that its note is a soft double chirp, reminding one strongly of the note of a Bunting. The 



