THE LARKS. 87 



Adult Female. — Similar to the male, and not perceptibly 

 smaller, as in most Larks ; scarcely any streaks on the fore- 

 neck, the blackish patch on the sides of the latter also smaller. 

 Total length, 5-5 inches; wing, 3-6. 



Range in Great Britain. — An accidental visitor, which has oc- 

 curred about eight times in the southern half of England, and 

 once, quite recently, in Ireland. 



Range outside the British Islands. — A resident in many parts of 

 Southern Europe, but migratory in others, departing in winter 

 after nesting. It breeds in the south of France and through 

 out the Mediterranean countries, and as far east as Turkestan ; 

 but is only of accidental occurrence in Germany and other 

 more northern countries of Europe, as in England. 



Habits.— An inhabitant of sandy districts, where it lives 

 entirely on the ground. It arrives in its breeding haunts 

 about the beginning of April, and the eggs are found in May 

 and June. Its song is like that of the Sky-Lark, but more 

 feeble, and is uttered as the bird mounts into the air, though 

 it also sings on the ground. It is of a very tame disposition, 

 and during the winter congregates in large flocks. 



Nest. — Placed on the ground in any kind of depression, such 

 as a hoof-print, often concealed under the herbage. It is very 

 like that of the Sky- Lark, being formed of dry grasses w ith 

 vegetable down, and scantily lined with hair. 



Eggs. — Four to five in number. There are two distinct types, 

 one light, nearly uniform pale brown, the spots of brown very 

 tiny and indistinct, sometimes showing a ring round the large 

 and sometimes round the small end of the egg. The second 

 type of egg is Sparrow-like, the ground-colour white, thickly 

 spotted with brown, with underlying spots of grey. Axis, 

 o'75-o - 8 inch; diam., o*55-o'6 inch. 



THE CRESTED LARKS. GENUS GALERITA. 

 G ater ita, Boie, Isis, 1882, p. 321. 



Type, G. cristata (Linn.). 



The Crested Larks, of which we have two species in Eu- 

 rope, are distinguished by having the first primary quill well 



