142 WATER-PIPIT, 
Austro-Hungarian expedition. On passage it occurs throughout 
Europe south of the Baltic, down to the Mediterranean and Black 
Seas. In Russia it breeds in the Ural Mountains up to 64° N. lat., 
and in the Caucasus; as it does in the high ranges of Asia Minor, 
Persia, Baluchistan, Turkestan, and in the Altai. In winter it visits 
the North of Africa, and Asia to Western India; being replaced to 
the eastward by a smaller form, 4 d/akistont. In Japan the repre- 
sentative is A. japonicus, doubtfully distinct from A. pennsylvanicus 
—also known as A. /udovicianus—which is found throughout North 
America and in Greenland; the latter has also been identified in 
Heligoland, and is said, but on insufficient evidence, to have 
occurred in Great Britain. 
The Water-Pipit returns to its breeding-quarters as soon as the 
elevated regions are sufficiently free from snow; and quite early in 
May I observed large numbers in the Vallée du Lis, above Luchon. 
The nest, loosely composed of dry grass and plant-stems, lined with 
a few hairs and feathers, is placed on the ground among stones, or 
under the shelter of a low bush; the eggs, usually 5 in number, are 
greyish-white mottled with brownish-olive: measurements ‘8 by 
‘6 in. In some localities two broods are reared in the season. The 
song of the male is an often-repeated 777, “7, “77, uttered in the air 
or from the top of some bush. The food consists of insects, minute 
snails, and small seeds. 
The adult male in breeding-plumage has a white stripe over the 
eye and the greyish-brown ear-coverts ; upper parts greyish-brown, 
turning to brown on the rump ; wings dark brown with pale edges to 
the coverts and secondaries ; the exterior pair of tail-feathers white 
on the outer portion, the second and third pairs brown tipped with 
white, the remainder brown; chin white; throat and breast warm 
vinaceous-buff ; belly paler, and flanks rather browner, with a few 
dark streaks; bill, legs and feet brown. Length 6°5 in.; wing 
3°6 in. The sexes are alike in plumage. In autumn the vinous 
tint is lost, and the sides of the neck and breast are spotted with 
dark brown. The young bird is still more spotted, and the outer 
webs of the exterior pair of tail-feathers are pale brown. 
The Water-Pipit may always be distinguished from the Rock- 
Pipit by the distinctly zeAz¢e colour of the outer part of the exterior 
pair of tail-feathers, and the white tips to the second pair; and, 
although in young birds this white is not so pure as has been 
asserted, it is sufficiently so for the distinction of the species from 
even the Scandinavian form of the Rock-Pipit, which, in its turn, is 
much brighter than our resident bird. 
