202 ORNAMENTS OF THE VELD 



The next species is the Yellow-throated (M. croceus), 

 which is the commoner hird in low-lying districts, such as 

 Natal, Zululand, &c. 0. G. Davies, C.M.E., reports it as 

 scarce in Pondoland, except near the Natal border, and we 

 have found it decidedly so in the Pretoria District, Transvaal, 

 notwithstanding what Barratt has written to the contrary. 



The last species is the Pink-throated Longclaw (M. 

 amelice), which has, however, most of the underparts of a 

 pink colour in addition to the throat. 



The Longclaws are inhabitants of grassy downlands, 

 where they build a cup-shaped nest of grass lined with finer 

 material and horsehair, placed in a hollow under a tuft of 

 grass or weed, and lay three or four cream-coloured eggs 

 marked with spots of different shades of brown and purplish. 



PIPITS 



The genus Anfhus contains ten species, most of which 

 are sombre brown-plumaged birds. 



The Tree Pipit {A. trivialis) is a migrant from Northern 

 and Central Europe and Western Siberia, where it breeds. 

 It was first recorded from the Transvaal by Wahlberg, and 

 recently by L. E. Taylor as far south as Irene. 



The Cinnamon-backed Pipit {A. pyrrhonotus), the Lesser 

 Tawny Pipit {A. rufulus), the Vaal Eiver Pipit {A. vaalensis), 

 are all brown birds of dull coloration, and not easy for the 

 tyro to distinguish from one anothfer. They are called 

 " Koesters " (meaning Duckers) by the Boers, from their 

 habits of ducking down or cowering in the grass. They 

 are denizens of the open veld, making a nest somewhat 

 similar to that of the Longclaws in much the same locality. 



