5 
Schirié ; and Captain Shelley says that “it arrives about March, when it becomes plentiful 
throughout Egypt and Nubia.” In North-western Africa it is, Major Loche says, common 
during winter; and Canon Tristram (Ibis, 1859, p. 421) met with it there in small flocks 
throughout the winter. It has, moreover, been met with as far south as Caffreland; for Professor 
Malmgren (Ibis, 1869, p. 230) records one as killed on the Limpopo, in Caffreland, between 
lat. 25° and 26° S., by Wahlberg. Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., says (Ibis, 1871, p. 85) that it is 
common in Algeria during the summer—a statement which, however, is not confirmed by other 
travellers who have explored in North-west Africa. 
To the eastward it is met with throughout India and Siberia to China and Japan, and has 
been several times redescribed and split into various subspecies, none of which, however, I can 
allow, but, after a careful examination of a large series of specimens, can fully indorse the 
following remarks by Mr. A. O. Hume, who writes (Ibis, 1871, p. 35):—‘‘In a late number of 
‘The Ibis’ I mentioned that, in my opinion, Pipastes agilis, maculatus, and arboreus were one 
and the same species. Previously to writing this I had sent home specimens picked out by 
Dr. Jerdon from my collection as typical maculatus and typical arboreus, the one being of a 
greener tint everywhere, the other browner or yellower. I have an enormous series of this 
species from all parts of India, southern and northern, plains and hills; and I think I can safely 
say that they one and all unquestionably belong to the same species as the two typical forms 
which were sent home. In reference to these M. Verreaux furnishes the following remarks :— 
‘The careful comparisons that I have made prove that your birds are both nothing more than 
Anthus arboreus, a species very common with us here. I had already in my possession a large 
number of specimens of these birds from India; and I had already come to the same conclusion 
as you have done, that all are referable to this species. ‘This is another of those birds which 
undergo considerable local modifications according to climate and country.” Mr. A. O. Hume 
speaks of it with doubt as inhabiting Sindh, and states that it is “ almost wanting,” probably 
owing to the lack of suitable localities. Dr. Henderson met with it in Yarkand, and writes 
(‘Lahore to Yarkand,’ p. 226) that “ numerous specimens were obtained in the neighbourhood of 
Sanju and Oi Tograk, in the plains of Yarkand. ‘They were found in the fields among cultiva- 
tion, and were precisely similar to the specimens obtained in the plains of India.” Dr. Jerdon 
writes (B. of India, 11. p. 228):—‘‘It is found all over India in the cold season; for it is a 
winter visitant only, coming early in October and departing about the end of April. It frequents 
gardens, groves, thin tree-jungle, also occasionally grain-fields, beds of woody streams, &c. It is 
social in its habits, many being generally found together. They usually feed on the ground, on 
various insects and also on seeds, but on being disturbed fly up at once to the nearest tree. 
They now and then feed on trees, hopping about the upper branches, and occasionally snapping 
at an insect on the wing. It is said by the natives to kill many mosquitoes, hence some of the 
native names. Mr. Blyth says he has seen small parties of them flying over their haunts, in a 
restless unsettled way, now and then alighting on a tree, and uttering a slight chirp, and con- 
tinuing this till nearly dark. Its flesh is used by falconers as a restorative to the Bhyri, and is 
said to be very delicate. It is taken in numbers for the table at Calcutta and elsewhere in 
Bengal, and sold as Ortolan. Colonel Sykes’s remark (which must have arisen from a mistake), 
‘found on open stony lands,’ is of course not at all applicable to this bird, and misled many in 
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