TnK Lapland Buxtixg 131 



according to Mr. Seebolim, not only the commonest, bnt also the most widely 

 distributed bird on the tundras. In Asia it migrates further southwards than in 

 Europe, reaching tu about 30° N. lat. in China ; whereas it is rare in the south 

 of Russia and in Northern Italy, and as yet unknown iu Spain. In Central 

 Europe its occurrences are accidental, but further north they are naturally more 

 frequent, and are regular on Heligoland in autumn. In America this species 

 breeds throughout the far mn-th ; wintering iu vSouth Carolina, Kansas, and 

 Colorado." (Howard Saunders, ]\Ianual of British Birds, pp. :; 13-214). 



To Great Britain this species is an occasional, though not very infrequent 

 visitor ; upwards of forty examples apparently having been obtained previous to 

 1890, since Selby first recognized the bird, amongst some Larks forwarded to 

 Leadenhall Market from Cambridgeshire, early in 1826. Since 1890 this species 

 has visited us more frequently. In October and November, 1892, J. H. Gurney 

 stated that at least fifty-six were netted and shot in Norfolk. In the following 

 year considerable numbers were seen on the Lincolnshire coast, a good many were 

 recorded as having passed along the downs in February. In November of the 

 same year a flock of from sixty to eighty was seen near Flaniborough by Matthew 

 Bailey, and later a flock of from a hundred to a hundred and twenty by J. 

 Cordeaux. In the Zoologist for 1894, the late Rev. H. A. Macpherson stated 

 that in the southern counties a few had been taken annually for the past dozen 

 years near Dover, but that in November, 1893, only three were caught near 

 Brighton. In 1900 Mr. Patterson reported their annual occurrence in greater or 

 less numbers in Norfolk, and occurrences of the species in Sussex, Warwick, 

 Yorkshire, Scotland, and Ireland have been recorded up to 1907. 



The male in breeding-plumage has the head, including the throat, and the 

 breast velvety-black ; a broad white superciliary stripe extends backwards over the 

 ear-coverts, and is continued downwards on the sides of the neck ; across the back 

 of the neck is a broad collar of bright chestnut ; the remainder of the upper 

 surface (including the wing-coverts and secondaries) is blackish, the feathers 

 bordered with tawny-buff, or creamy-whitish ; the primaries and tail-feathers deep 

 brown, with narrow ashy margins, the two outer pairs of tail-feathers with elon- 

 gated dull white patches on the inner webs : remainder of under surface creamy- 

 white, with black streaks on the flanks : beak yellow, tipped with black ; feet 

 blackish-brown ; iris hazel. The feuiale is paler above and without the defined 

 collar on the nape, the feathers of the crown have tawny-margins, and a whitish 

 stripe runs down the centre of the head : the ear-coverts are brown, partly edged 

 with blackish ; the cheeks and under surface are creamy white : a black line run- 

 ning below the cheeks to the upper throat, where the feathers are also black, 



