Genus ANTHUS. 
Alauda apud Linneeus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 287 (1766). 
Sylvia apud Latham, Ind. Orn. ii. p. 531 (1790). 
Anthus, Bechstein, Gemeinn. Naturg. Vog. Deutschl. i. p. 247 (1805). 
Motacilla apud Pallas, Zoogr. Rosso-As. i. p. 512 (1811). 
Spipola apud Leach, Syst. Cat. B. & M. Brit. Mus. p. 21 (1816). 
Vitifiora apud Stephens in Shaw’s Gen. Zool. x. p. 570 (1817). 
Corydalla, Vigors, Zool. Journ. ii. p. 397 (1825). 
Leimoniptera apud Kaup, Natiirl. Syst. p. 39 (1829). 
Pipastes apud Kaup, op. cit. p. 33 (1829). 
Fringilla apud Tickell, J. As. Soc. Beng. i. p. 578 (1833). 
Agrodroma apud Swainson, Classif. of B. ii. p. 241 (1837). 
Cichlops apud Hodgson in Gray’s Zool. Mise. p. 83 (1844). 
EARLIER authors united the Pipits with the Larks; and even Macgillivray took this view; but 
there can be no doubt that they agree structurally very closely with the Wagtails, and differ very 
materially from the Larks in having two instead of one moult in the year; besides, the Larks 
have the back of the tarsus scutellated, and the nostrils (with some few exceptions) covered with 
short feathers, whereas the Pipits have the back of the tarsus entire, and the nostrils bare. 
The Pipits inhabit the Palearctic, Ethiopian, Oriental, Australian, Nearctic, and Neotropical 
Regions, having therefore a very extensive range. ‘They vary considerably in their habits, some 
being inhabitants of the woods and groves, whereas others frequent the open country, both 
cultivated and wild; and the Rock-Pipit evinces a partiality for the sea-coast. ‘The Pipits are, 
as a rule, tolerably good songsters, some, however, having a much poorer song than others. 
They feed: on insects, seeds, &c., usually procuring their food on the ground. ‘They all nest on 
the ground, and deposit four or five eggs, which vary considerably, those of some species being 
greyish white closely dotted or mottled with brownish olivaceous, whereas those of other species 
are pale brown or brownish pink, blurred with dark brown or purplish brown. Their flight is 
rapid and undulating; and some species will, when singing, rise into the air and descend in a 
semicircle with expanded tail onto the ground or onto a branch again. 
Ten species inhabit the Western Palearctic Region, nine of which breed there, the tenth 
(Anthus ludovicianus) being merely a straggler from the Nearctic Region. 
Anthus pratensis, which I take to be the type of the genus, has the bill straight, rather 
slender, the upper mandible slightly notched; gape with no discernible bristles; nostrils oblong, 
placed in the lower fore part of the nasal depression, which is slightly feathered behind; wings 
rather long, the four outer quills nearly equal and longest, the inner secondaries long, one being 
nearly as long as the primaries; tail rather long, straight, emarginate ; tarsus rather longer than 
the middle toe with claw, covered with four large plates and three inferior scutelle in front; toes 
rather long, the hind claw rather long. In some species belonging to this genus the toes are 
much smaller, and the hind claw is small and arched. 
The present genus has been considerably split up by many authors—viz. Agrodroma, 
Swains. (type Anthus campestris), Corydalla, Vig. (type Anthus richardi), Pipastes, Kaup (type 
Anthus trivialis), and Leimoniptera, Kaup (type Anthus pratensis); but I cannot, after a careful 
examination of the various types of these genera, find that there is any valid reason to thus sub- 
divide it, and have consequently retained all in the genus Anthus. 
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