570 ALAUDIB.E. 



The wing in a series of males measures from 4-3.5 to -t-oS inches. 



In suininer j)hii)ia(/e the colouring is more uniform by reason of 

 the shedding of the ])ale edges to the feathers. In many specimens 

 killed in autumn there is a strong tinge of yellow on the under- 

 parts. Such specimens are probably young birds after their first 

 moult, and the majority of these individuals have a scaly appearance 

 on the upper surface from the breadth of the pale edges to the 

 feathers. 



Adult female. Similar to the male but smaller. Total length 6-5 

 inches, culmen 3-45, wing 4-1, tail 2-5, tarsus 0-95. 



A dark race appears to be found in Portugal (c/. Tait, ' Ibis,' 

 1887, p. 197). Dr. Vieira has kindly sent some specimens of this 

 form to the Museum, and the male in breeding plumage is certainly 

 a strongly marked bird, very dark above and coarsely spotted below. 

 The mantle also contrasts somewhat vividly against the back, which 

 gives it the appearance of a large A. gidgida. Total length 6-6 

 inches, culmen 0-55, wing 4-25, tail 2-55, tarsus U-9. Another 

 male has the wing 4'1 inches. 



In the south of England the Larks which come during the 

 autumn migration are often called ' Northern ' Laiks, and are 

 certainly darker and browner as opposed to the resident Lark, which 

 is a more rufous bird. 



The males of this dark form have a wing from 4-45 to 4-G inches, 

 and the females have the wing from 3-9 to 4-25 inches. 



The resident form in the south of England is decidedly a more 

 rufous bird than the one which comes from the north during the 

 winter season, though some specimens are difficult to distinguish 

 from the darker race. The rufous race is decidedly a western bird 

 in Europe, as will be seen by the list of localities of specimens in 

 the Museum. It issomcM'hat interesting also to see that, according 

 to the S])ecimens sent by Dr. E. Yieira from Coimbra, the rufous 

 Lark migrates to Portugal at least a month earlier than the brown 

 Lark. 



There is very little diflference in size between the two races, the 

 males of the rufous form measuring from 4-3 to 4-.55 inches in the 

 wing, and the females measuring from 3'9 to 4'2 inches. 



Mr. Maiisel-Pleydell has forwarded me recently (Eeb. 27) three 

 pairs of Sky-Larks from Dorsetshire. In each case the birds had 

 paired and the male was of the rufous form and the female of the 

 darker form. 



The race known as A. canfareUa is similar to A. cn-vensii^, but is 

 a decidedly greyer bird, more mealy in appearance everywhere, with 

 a purer white belly and with much paler axillaries and under wing- 

 coverts purer isabelline grey, not so dusky as in A. arvensis. Total 

 length 6-7 inches, culmen 0"5.5, wing 4-5, tail 2*7, tarsus 0-9. 

 The adult female is similar to the male in plumage, but smaller. 

 Total length G-1 inches, culmen 0"5, wing 3'9, tail 2-2.5, tarsus 0\). 



A. ca»tarella is, therefore, a mealy form of Sky-Lark which ex- 

 tends from the Mediterranean through Persia and Centra] x\sia to 

 Central Siberia and Northern Chinii, and also extends toN.AV. India. 

 It must not, however, be supposed that it is constant througljout 



