Rev. H. B. Tristram on the Ornithology of Palestine, 289 
blotches. The nests are very compact and neat, deeper than 
those of any other Lark, and generally imbedded in a tuft of 
Astragalus or Praha, finely lined with grass roots. This species 
does not assume a yellowish face in the breeding-season, but has 
the throat pure white. It may-at once be distinguished from 
every other by the great extent of the black on its breast. Mr. 
Swinhoe’s Tientsin specimen I find from comparison to be the 
true O. alpestris , and not this species, to which he referred it. 
Widely differing in its habitat is the last of the Palestine 
Alaudinoe , Certhilauda desert or um (Stanley), a scarce bird in the 
southern deserts. Its habits have already been very fully 
described by me (Ibis, 1859, p. 427). We saw it several times, 
but obtained only a single specimen. Otocorys hilopha, Temm., 
found by me in the Sahara, is described by Ehrenberg from 
Arabia Petrsea, but did not come under our observation. 
On the Pipits there is little to remark. Five species are 
included in our collection. Of these the most abundant was 
Anthus campestris, Bechst., found all over the cultivated coast 
and hill districts, but not in the Jordan valley. It is a perma¬ 
nent resident, and we obtained several nests on the ground on 
bare hills in April. It is one of the tamest of birds, and par¬ 
ticularly affects the mule-paths, flitting along in front of the 
traveller and keeping unconcernedly a few yards ahead. In 
winter a few of them may generally be seen consorting with the 
more numerous Galerita cristata (L.). Anthus spinoletta (L.) we 
shot but once, in the marshes of the Huleh in spring, but saw it 
several times in winter near Jericho, where I took a nest of six 
eggs in April, which I can refer only to this bird, though, unfor¬ 
tunately, I did not identify them. I also possess a specimen shot 
at Wady Peiran near Mount Sinai in March, a most unlikely 
locality. It is, however, well-known as an Egyptian bird. The 
specimens exactly correspond with one I shot on the east coast 
of Ireland. 
Anthus pratensis, L., occurs in small numbers throughout the 
winter everywhere, and a few pairs were found by us in favour¬ 
able localities up to midsummer. A specimen shot at Jericho 
on new year’s day is so peculiar in its coloration that it might 
well pass for another species. It is without the dark spots on 
n. s.—VOL. II. 
u 
