490 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



casually on many bits of stream, I did not see one during the 

 time (June 15th to July 3rd, 1899) I spent in the district. Nor 

 did 1 meet with more than one pair of Grey Wagtails (another 

 bird one associates with the west). These seemed to be breeding 

 under the arch of Pont Rhyd Goch, on the Afon Erch. The Pied 

 Wagtail was fairly common. I did not find Ray's Wagtail, but 

 Mr. T. A. Coward (who has paid several visits to the district), to 

 whom I am indebted for some most interesting notes on the birds 

 of Lleyn, tells me he has seen it at Abersoch and Nevin. The 

 Rock-Pipit is common about the rocky parts of the coast, and is 

 found on some at least of the islands. It was more abundant on 

 one headland than in any other spot I have visited — a charming 

 grassy headland studded with grey rocks, and at that time gay with 

 Silene maritima, Armeria maritima, and E rythr tea littor alls ; the 

 home, too, of the rarer Scilla verna. The Pipits had, I think, hatched 

 their young, and would sit on a stone, with an anxious manner, 

 and utter unceasingly their cry of alarm or distress — a very high 

 shrill " chip " or " chick" — as long as one's patience lasted. The 

 call-note " sneek " or " snik " sounded all around, and some birds 

 were in full song. This is " tig tig tig," &c. (rising flight), " swik 

 swik," &c. (first part of falling flight), and then numerous more 

 musical " tinks," uttered very rapidly, to finish up with. The 

 plumage of these Rock-Pipits even at that date was worn and 

 brownish ; the head distinctly greyer ; throat-patch light, a tiny 

 eye-streak visible, and two bars on the wing conspicuous. The 

 Meadow Pipit is very common — among sand-hills on the coast, on 

 the headlands, moorlands, and mountains. When alarmed for 

 the safety of its nest or young, the note is a very sharp quick 

 " chittick," somewhat like the sound made by a House-Cricket. 

 Its rapid song always sounds to me very monotonous, there being 

 usually only one change in it ; it consists of a short quick 

 " chewit " frequently repeated, followed by a still more rapidly 

 uttered " chit " or " chee." The name " Neighing-Bird," be- 

 stowed by Charleton on one or other of the Pipits, seems an 

 appropriate one for this bird (' Exercitationes,' 1677). I saw 

 and heard the Tree-Pipit on several occasions. One near 

 Llwyn-gwyn sat on a low flat-topped wall to sing the perching- 

 song, then soared and returned to the spot. 



Mountain birds were, of course, rarely seen. As I ascended 



