4 
as sometimes occurring in the northern portion of that country; they add that Mr. Limel found 
a nest with eggs near Montpellier, a statement which I am inclined to doubt. Jaubert and 
Barthélemy-Lapommeraye state that it arrives in Provence from Algeria in the spring only; but 
it is probable that those passing in the autumn have been mistaken for Meadow-Pipits. 
The only record of its occurrence in Spain is from Major Irby, who states (Ibis, 1872, p. 201) 
that he saw it in Southern Spain, on passage, about the 10th of March; but he does not appear 
to have obtained a specimen; and Mr. Howard Saunders informs me that neither he nor any of 
his collectors have ever obtained or heard of it in Spain. 
Passing eastward again, I find it to all appearance somewhat rare in Italy, and but few well- 
authenticated instances of its occurrence are on record. ‘Two were obtained by Count Salvadori 
in the market at Florence in May 1861. In Sicily it is an occasional visitant; and Professor 
Doderlein possesses a fine series in the Museum of Palermo. He states that it is fond of perching 
upon trees which it comes across in its flight, and describes its note as a zip, zip, sharper, more 
silvery, and more frequently repeated than that of the Tit-Lark. Mr. A. B. Brooke (Ibis, 1873, 
p. 245) refers to it as being of rare occurrence in Sardinia. I have a specimen from Malta, 
presented to me by Mr. C. A. Wright of that place, who writes (Ibis, 1864, p. 61) as follows :— 
“That no notice has been taken of this species as a visitor to Malta is probably owing to its 
having been considered only a variety. The first specimen that fell into my hands was shot on 
the 7th of April, 1860, by Signor Pace, who kindly gave it to me. Since then I have seen and 
shot many individuals. ‘This has generally been in April; but I have also observed it in autumn. 
Arrives in small flocks. It is interesting to notice the gradation in depth of colour of the throat 
that a series of these birds presents, sliding into the plumage of A. pratensis.” ‘The late Captain 
Rowland M. Sperling also met with it at Malta, and speaks of it (Ibis, 1864, p. 279) as common 
on the plains of Butrinto, in Albania. Lindermayer and Von der Mihle both include it in their 
works on the ornithology of Greece; and the latter (Vog. Griechenl. p. 58) speaks of it as a 
summer resident in the mountains of Platana; but I think it highly probable that he has 
mistaken Anthus spinoletta for the present species, which is only a migrant in far higher 
latitudes, its breeding-haunts and summer home being in the extreme north of Europe. The 
Ritter von Tschusi-Schmidhofen informs me that “it has only once been known to occur in 
Bohemia, Palliardi having shot a male on the 10th May, 1844, on a swampy meadow at Fran- 
zensbad. In upper Styria (Mariahof) Pfarrer Hanf has often observed it during migration, and 
shot several specimens at different times.” I have received specimens from Turkey; and Messrs. 
Elwes and Buckley refer to it as not uncommon in that country during the winter season ; so that 
it appears to pass through Asia Minor and Turkey on its migration to and from North-eastern 
Africa. Canon Tristram (Ibis, 1866, p. 290) obtained a specimen in Palestine, on the coast of 
the plain of Sharon, in the month of February; and it may therefore be inferred that it winters 
there; but North-eastern Africa appears to be its head quarters; for Captain Shelley (B. of Eg. 
p. 131) speaks of it as “one of the most abundant birds throughout Egypt and Nubia. Its 
numbers are somewhat decreased by the month of April; but I believe it remains there through- 
out the year.” Von Heuglin considers it to be a resident in North-east Africa, and states (Orn. 
N.O.-Afr. p. 324) that he has met with it in May, and is sure it occasionally breeds there. It is, 
he says, met with commonly in Abyssinia and Nubia; but Messrs. Finsch and Hartlaub do not 
