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THE WATER-PIPIT (ANTHUS SPIPOLETTA) AS A 

 VISITOR TO ENGLAND. 



By Michael J. Nicoll, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 



In ' The Zoologist ' for 1904 I wrote a short paper, pointing 

 out that the Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris) is probably a 

 regular visitor to the British Islands during the autumn migra- 

 tion ;* and now, from materials collected during the past few 

 years, I will endeavour to show that the Water-Pipit {A. spipo- 

 letta) may also be looked for with tolerable certainty during both 

 the spring and autumn migrations, i. e. January to April and 

 October to December. Until quite recently this species has been 

 looked upon as a " straggler " to this country. 



My own observations extend over comparatively a very small 

 part of England, viz. the Sussex coast-line and marshes, and of 

 these only that part which lies between Pevensey on the west, 

 and Rye Harbour on the east, a portion of coast-line not more 

 than twenty miles in length ; but if, as I intend to show, this 

 species is apparently a regular migrant to this small area, how 

 much more so may it not be found on other parts of the British 

 coast as well. I should like to take this opportunity of calling 

 attention to a most mistaken notion which I have frequently 

 heard expressed, that the district between Pevensey and Rye is 

 a "unique " place for rare birds. I feel quite sure that the east 

 coast is quite as good, if not better, judging by the number of 

 rare " stragglers " obtained or recorded on that coast by Mr. 

 Caton Haigh, Mr. J. H. Gurney, Mr. Patterson, Mr. Arnold, and 

 others. There is a far greater tract of country to be " worked " 

 on the east coast than on the coast of Sussex. 



In the course of this paper I intend to give full references to 

 all published records of occurrences of the Water-Pipit in this 

 country. It must be remembered that for every one rare bird 



* I have since found that it also occurs here in spring. — M.J. N. 



