464 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



recorded numbers — I might safely say hundreds — pass without 

 being noticed. This is most undoubtedly the case. The late 

 Heinrich Gatke frequently remarks, in his wonderful work (' Die 

 Vogelwarte Helgoland'): — "I would willingly exchange the 

 whole of my collection, wonderful as it is, for all the birds which 

 have occurred here without having been seen or killed, if that 

 were possible.'-' 



The Water-Pipit is one of those species which, like the Aquatic 

 Warbler (Acrocephalus aquaticus), is easily overlooked owing to 

 its resemblance to an allied species. 



I have found that the best way of distinguishing the Water- 

 Pipit from the Eock-Pipit (Anthus obscurus), even when flying and 

 at some distance, is that the under parts of A. spipoletta appear 

 quite white, and this is especially noticeable when the bird is on 

 the wing. The white pattern of the outer tail-feathers is also a 

 good character, but this is not so noticeable unless the bird is 

 seen when about to settle. 



These facts I pointed out at a meeting of the British Orni- 

 thologists' Club in November, 1904 (Bull. B.O.C. ex. pp. 20, 21). 

 At the same time I remarked on the call-note of this species, 

 which is less loud, somewhat harsher, and is uttered several 

 times in quick succession. The Rock-Pipit only utters a single 

 note, unless alarmed. These remarks have been written rather 

 fully, as I hope some of my fellow-ornithologists will take up this 

 subject. It is, I consider, of the utmost importance to find out 

 whether this and other species of birds formerly believed to be 

 very rare and accidental visitors are not more often, if not regu- 

 larly, met with on migration in the British Islands. 



It is somewhat unfortunate that of late years it has become 

 a " fashion " for certain people to raise an outcry in the press 

 and elsewhere against the so-called "slaughter" of rare birds ! 

 All praise is due to those who are doing their utmost to protect 

 rare breeding species, or birds that once bred here, and still occur 

 on migration ; but when, as often happens now, after the record- 

 ing of a rare Warbler, Pipit, or some such bird — birds which never 

 have bred, and never are likely to breed, in this country — a letter 

 appears referring to the sickening list of slaughter, &c, one feels 

 obliged to make a reply, and hence these remarks of mine. At 

 the same time one feels inclined to wonder whether these persons 



