5 
pick up minute shell-fish and other marine animals, often mingling with Redshanks, Turnstones, 
or Purres. The flight of this species is wavering and desultory; and its cry is a repeated shrill 
‘cheep.’ When disturbed while feeding, it flutters about, frequently repeating its note, settles on 
a rock or stone, or on the grass, keeps vibrating its body, and waits until the intruder departs. 
But although shy, it is so only after a fashion; for it seems to consider itself safe at no great 
distance: and indeed it may generally do so with impunity; for it is very seldom molested, 
neither its colour nor the quality of its flesh being sufficiently attractive to the sportsman to 
induce him to hold it in request. It is scarcely gregarious at any season, but in winter may be 
said to be at least not unsocial.” The song of the Rock-Pipit is tolerably pleasing, but not so 
prolonged, and much poorer in quality, than that of the Meadow-Pipit. When singing it rises 
in the air like the Tree- or Meadow-Pipit, and gradually descends to its perch on a rock or stone, 
uttering its song all the while. Should an intruder approach its nest, it flies restlessly round, 
evincing the utmost anxiety, and constantly utters its querulous call-note. 
Nidification commences late in April or early in May; and the nest is placed on the ground, 
in a bank, or under a stone or ledge in the face of a cliff, or amongst moss. It is generally in 
some situation immediately overlooking the sea, or not far inland, and is constructed of bents 
and blades of grass, sometimes intermixed with sea-weeds, and lined with finer bents, and occa- 
sionally with a little horsehair. 
The eggs, from four to five in number, vary considerably, but are separable into two forms 
—one reddish brown, the other olive—between which, however, there is every gradation to be 
met with. In those in my collection, all of which are from the Scotch coast, the ground-colour 
is grey with an olive-green tinge, and the markings, which are small and very closely distributed 
over the surface of the shell, are dark brown with a reddish shade; but I have seen others 
in which the markings are quite olivaceous brown in colour. In size they average about 
2% by 46 mch. 
As stated by Professor Newton in the edition of Yarrell’s ‘ British Birds’ which he is now 
editing, there are two forms of the Rock-Pipit—one of which, during the breeding-season, has the 
breast tinged with vinous, and has by some authors been treated as a distinct species, under the 
name of Anthus rupestris, Nilss., and the other, our common British Rock-Pipit, which has the 
breast honey-yellow. Nearly two years ago I put aside the present article, then half written, 
because I found that I required further data respecting the vinous-breasted form, and have since 
then obtained as much information as can be had, and have examined a considerable series of 
specimens, the result being that I cannot separate these two forms specifically. It is true that 
in the south of England the vinous-breasted form appears occasionally in flocks separate from the ° 
ordinary honey-breasted form ; but during the breeding-season they do not appear to have distinct 
breeding-ranges, but breed together; and in measurements and winter dress they are quite 
inseparable. ‘The vinous-breasted form breeds, though probably rarely, in Great Britain, where, 
I may add, it has very generally done duty as the Water-Pipit (Anthus spinoletta); for after a 
careful search into the various recorded occurrences of this latter species, only three could, I 
found, be relied on, all the rest being, so far as I could judge, the vinous-breasted form of the 
present species. Mr. Hancock states that he has received this form from Chepstow with the 
3K 
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