192 The Crested Lark 



the centres of the fcatliers darker than elsewhere; the hastard primary is large; 

 the tail-feathers are dark Ijrown, with greyi-sh luargius, excepting the outermost 

 feather whicli is pale brown with buff outer web; and the second feather which 

 has a sandv-buff margin to the t)uter web ; the superciliary stripe is broad, 

 extending far backwards from above the eye, and is buffish-white ; the under parts 

 are principall}- buffish-white, deeper on the flanks and thighs ; sides of throat 

 spotted with blackish-brown ; breast spotted and streaked with dark brown ; flanks 

 slightly streaked ; bill brown, under mandible paler ; feet fleshy horn-brown ; iris 

 hazel. The female has a shorter crest, and is rather smaller than the male, and 

 has a much shorter wing. The young are more rufescent and have blackish sub- 

 terminal bars and pale buff tips to the feathers of tlie upper parts. After the 

 autumn moult the plumage of the Crested Lark becomes more sandy in tint, and 

 the dark centres to the feathers less conspicuous. 



Col. Irb}-, in his "Ornithology of the Straits of Gibraltar" gives the 

 following account of this species : — " The Crested Lark is one of the most 

 abundant birds both in Morocco and Andalucia, though never seen in any great 

 numbers together. They arc distributed in pairs on every road-track and open 

 plain, often at intervals of onl}' some twenty yards. Excessively tame and fear- 

 less, they have acquired the name of Curiiicit), from their habit of frequenting 

 roads, to which they resort as much on account of the horse and mule-dung, at 

 which they are to be seen pecking, as for the purpose of dusting themselves ; 

 and they are often to be noticed on the sea-shore, running about like a Sauderling 

 within a yard of the water. 



They have no song worthy of the name, and are altogether rather vulgar and 

 uninteresting birds. This species is one of those which I could not detect 

 migrating in the slightest degree. 



The Crested Lark usually commences to lay about the 20th of April, placing 

 the nest in some tuft of grass or under shelter of a small stone or clod of earth 

 — constructing it, like those of other Larks, with bits of grass, bents, etc., lined 

 with hair." 



Howard Saunders says:- — "The nest, often commenced early in March, is 

 usually placed in some such depression of the dry ground as a hoof-print, or 

 amongst herbage, but sometimes on an old wall or bank of earth, or even on the 

 ridge of a low thatched shed in the fields ; the materials employed being diy 

 grass and roots. The eggs four to five in number, vary from greyish-white 

 distinctly spotted with brown and violet-grey, to greenish-grey mottled with olive- 

 brown ; average measurements '95 by "bS in. Incubation, in wdiich the male 

 takes part, lasts a fortnight. The Crested Lark is a tame and conspicuous bird, 



