28 A HAND -LIST OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Arctic and sub-arctic regions of Northern 

 Hemisphere, in winter farther south, in small numbers to Mediter- 

 ranean countries. American ornithologists separate a subspecies 

 from Siberian coast of Bering Sea and Commander, Pribilof, and 

 Shumagin Islands, but this requires confirmation. 



[XoTE. — A specimen of the American Snowbird, Jwnco hyemalis (L.), 

 of whicli ten different local races inhabit the whole of North America, was 

 captured at Loop Head Light (Clare), May 30, 1895 {Irish Nat., 1906, p. 137 ; 

 Brit. B., I, p. 12), having probably escaped from captivity]. 



[XoTE. — Specimens of the American White-throated Sparrow, 

 Zonofrichia alhicollis (Gm.), have occurred at Aberdeen, near Brighton (Sussex), 

 in Holderness (Yorks.), and on Flannan Isles, but these had probably 

 escaped. Breeds in eastern Xorth America, and winters in eastern United 

 States, and as far south as north-east Mexico and Florida]. 



[Note. — Two examples of the Calandra Lark, Melanocorypha calandra 

 (L.), are said to have been taken in England, but the typical race, which 

 inhabits south Europe and north-west Africa, is a favovirite cage-bird, and 

 therefore the occurrences are probably not genuine.] 



MELANOCORYPHA SIBIRICA 



57. Melanocorypha sibirica (Gm.)— THE WHITE-WINGED 

 LARK. 



Alauda sibirica Gmelin, Syst. Nat., i, 2, p. 799 (1789 — ex Pallas, Reise. 

 Typical locality : River Irtish). 



Melanocorypha sibirica (J. F. Gmelin), Yarrell, i, p. 642 ; Alavda sibirica 

 J. F. Gmelin, Saunders, p. 257. 



Distribution. — England. — Six. Female, near Brigliton (Sussex) 

 Nov. 22, 1869 (Saunders, p. 257). Woodchurch (Kent) male Jan. 

 27, female Jan. 28, and male Mar. 22, 1902 (N. F. Ticehurst, 

 Bull. B.O.C., XII, p. 50 ; xiii, p. 15). Pevensey Sluice (Sussex) 

 male Dec. 30, 1907, and female Jan. 1, 1908 (R. Butterfield, o'p.c, 

 XXI, p. 51 ; cf. Brit. B., i, pp. 256, 357). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — South Russian Steppes, Transcaspia, 

 west (Russian) Turkestan to Siberia. On autumn-migration 

 frequently in south-east Europe and also far west : Belgium, Italy, 

 Heligoland, etc. 



MELANOCORYPHA YELTONIENSIS 



58. Melanocorypha yeltoniensis (Forst.)— THE BLACK LARK- 



Alauda yeltoxiensis Forster, Philos. Trans, lvii, p. 350 (1767 — S. 

 Russia, Lower Volga, near Lake Yelton). 

 Alauda tatarica Pall., Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B., 11, p. 282. 

 Melanocorypha yeltoniensis (Forst.), C. B. Ticehurst, Bull, B.O.C., xix, 

 p. 57 ; Saunders, Brit. B., i, p. 14. 



Distribution. — England. — Small party on borders of Sussex and 

 Kent, January, 1907, following being shot : male, near Pevensey 

 (Sussex) Jan. 29 ; female, near Lydd (Kent) Jan. 31 ; male, near 

 Lydd, Feb. 18 ; male, Rye (Sussex) Feb. 16 {ut supra). 



