SHORE-LARK. STO* 



XXXVIII. 

 ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES. 



BY ^Y. CRAIBE ANGUS. 



With two Plates [IV. and V.]. 



THE SHORE-LARK. 



Alauda alpestrls . 



[Read '23rd February, ISSC] 



By tlie kindness of Mr. Robert R. Sutter, East 

 Barnes, Dunbar, I am privileged in showing an 

 example of tlie Shore-Lark which was shot by him 

 near Thornton Loch on the 80tli of January last. 

 When first observed by Mr. Sutter, the bird, with 

 five others, was on the sea-beach feeding in company 

 with a small flock of Sky-Larks. On being disturbed 

 the flocks separated, each species keej)ing by itself. 

 The strange note and heavy flight of the Shore-Larks, 

 contrasting with the familiar note and movements 

 of the indigenous birds, arrested the attention of 

 Mr. Sutter. He accordingly followed them to a 

 field of barley-stubble about 150 yards distant, and 

 separated from the sea-beach by a strip of natural 

 grass not more than 30 yards in breadth, where 

 they had alighted and were feeding. 



The bird is a male in winter iDlumage. It is badly 

 shot about the legs ; and, as stufl^ed, the crescent- 

 shaiDcd black patch on the breast is somewhat 

 larger than when the bird was in the flesh. 



The first occurrence of this species in Britain was 

 at Sherringham, in Norfolk, in 1830; and ten years 

 later it was obtained in Scotland. Since then it has 

 been found in such increasing numbers as to lead 

 to the supposition that from its similarity to allied 

 species, more especially when in winter plumage, it 

 may formerly have been overlooked. 



