Thp: Shore- Lark 199 



Familx—A LA I DID. E. 



The Shore- Lark. 



Olocurvs alpcstris, LiNX. 



BREEDS within the Arctic Circle bej'ond the limits of forest- growth in 

 the northern portions of the Old and New Worlds ; on migration it 

 occurs throughout the greater part of Europe, though hitherto not recorded 

 from Spain and Portugal ; eastward it is met with in Turkestan, S. Siberia, and 

 N. China. 



To Great Britain this bird was at one time only an irregular visitor, but 

 since the winter of 1869-70 when there was a considerable immigration to our 

 eastern coasts, its appearance in autumn and winter has been regular ; according 

 to Mr. Aplin, specimens have visited us on the northward migration in spring as 

 late as April 22nd. On the eastern coast of Scotland it has been met with as 

 far north as St Andrews. In 1906 a few visited Fair Isle (Shetlands), from 

 October to December. 



The adult male of the Shore-Lark has the forehead, a stripe partly en- 

 closing the eye and ear-coverts, and extending over the sides of neck, and uniting 

 with a patch over the chin and fore-throat creamy-white ; the front of the crown 

 and an erectile tuft on each side of the crown, the lores, cheeks, and a belt across 

 the lower throat and breast, black ; ear-coverts creamy, tipped with brown ; nape, 

 mantle, lesser wing-coverts, and upper tail-coverts vinaceous-brown ; wing-coverts 

 tipped with white ; quills smoky-brown, the first primary white externally, the 

 others with ashy-margins ; feathers of the back greyish-brown with black centres 

 to the feathers ; two central tail-feathers coloured like those of the back, the 

 remainder black, the outer feather with white margin to the outer web ; remainder 

 of under parts creamy- white, becoming vinous on the breast, flanks, and thighs; 

 flanks streaked with brown ; bill and feet black ; iris deep brown. The female 

 is smaller, duller, with less black and no erectile tufts on the head, but with dark 

 centres to all the feathers of the upper parts. Young males resemble the winter 

 plumage of the female, but young females show no yellow on the forehead and 

 have black bases to the feathers of the crown. After the autumn moult adult 

 birds have yellow margins to the feathers on the head and nape. 



