WOOD- LARK. 95 



migrant and little parties stream by all day long in autumn. 

 For the most part these immigrants show little fatigue when 

 landing, and may not even stop to rest upon the nearest fields. 



The Skylark of either sex is a brown bird, streaked on head, 

 back and flanks with darker brown ; the eye-stripe, noticeable 

 between the dark crown and cheeks, is pale buff. The under 

 parts are huffish white, with streaks and spots on the breast. 

 The bill is black above and brown beneath ; the legs reddish 

 brown, and the irides hazel. After the moult pale tips and 

 edges give a more rufous shade, and the young, buff in general 

 colour, have more pronounced streaks and breast spots. The 

 shade, however, is exceedingly variable, as indeed is the size. 

 Length, 775 ins. Wing, 4*4 ins. Tarsus, 'g in. 



The greyer Eastern Skylark, A. a. duerascens Ehmcke, 

 has been added to the British list, as it has occurred on the 

 Flannen Islands in February and twice in Ireland on autumn 

 migration. It breeds in western Siberia and winters as far 

 west as Algeria. 



Wood-Lark. Lnllula arhorea Linn. 



As the Tree-Pipit is often called the Wood-Lark, reports 

 of this very local resident must be treated with caution ; it 

 is most plentiful in southern and south-eastern England, but is 

 locally abundant in certain Welsh districts. Northward it is 

 scarce, but is known as a rare migrant to some of the Scottish 

 islands. It formerly nested in Ireland, but now is rare. It 

 occurs in most parts of Europe, and doubtless birds seen on 

 the Scottish islands were migrants from Scandinavia. 



Considerably smaller, the Wood-Lark (Plate 40) may further 

 be distinguished from the commoner bird, when on the wing or 

 ground, by its short tail. The crest is more pronounced, and 

 the almost white eye-stripe runs back towards the nape, giving 

 the appearance of a broad pale streak below the crest, which 



