IC> 6 allen’s naturalist’s library. 
marked spots, the principal ones being reddish- or purplish- 
brown, and the underlying markings purplish-grev. Axis, 074 
-0-9 inch; diam., o-6o--65. 
THE MEADOW-PIPIT. anthus pratensis. 
Alauda pralensis, Linn., S. N., i., p. 287 (1766). 
Anthus pratensis, Macg., Br. B., ii., p. 1S1 (1839); Newt, ed 
Yarr., p. 575 (1874); Dresser, B. Eur., iii., p. 285, pi. 
I 3 : | (1874) ; B. O. U. List Br. B., p. 32 (1883) ; Seeb., Br. 
B., 11., p. 224 (1884) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus., x., p. 580 
(1885) , Lilloid, Col. Fig. Br. B., pt. ix. (1888) ; Saunders, 
Man., p. 125 (1889); Wyatt, Br. B., ix., fig. 1 (1894). 
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. — Olive-brown above, with 
blackish centres to the feathers, those on the mantle with 
whitish margins; rump uniform; eyelid and eyebrow pale 
sandy-buff ; throat uniform tawny-buff, as also the breast, 
which is thickly streaked with black triangular spots, which 
become narrower on the lower breast ; flanks washed with 
olive and broadly streaked with black ; abdomen, vent, 
and under tail-coverts isabelline white; axillaries smoky- 
brown, washed with olive-yellow ; upper wing-coverts with con- 
spicuous margins of dull white ; quills externally olive ; light 
pattern of outer tail-feathers white. Total length, 575 inches • 
culmen, 0-5; wing, 3-15; tail, 2-45; tarsus, 0S5. 
Adult Female. — Similar to the male, but smaller and less 
strongly spotted below. Total length, 6 inches; wing, 2 '95_ 
Autumn and Winter Plumage. — More decidedly olive-brown in 
colour, the black spots on the under surface strongly marked 
and the olive-yellow on the axillaries very plain. 
Young.— Like the adults, but more dingy, less olive, and the 
black streaks on the upper surface broader ; a distinct mous- 
tachial streak of black, as well as two more stripes on the sides 
of the throat. 
Note. —The Meadow-Pipit is known by its small size, and nearly straight 
hind claw, which is longer than the hind toe itself. 
Range in Great Britain. — Universally distributed, frequenting 
the uplands as well as the lowlands in summer, but occurring 
