CRESTED LARK. 265 
forming a zone. Others somewhat closely resemble those of the Sky-Lark, 
and the markings are so thickly distributed as to conceal most of the pale 
ground-colour. Some eggs are much yellower than others, and they differ 
considerably in shape. They vary in length from 1:0 to ‘9 inch, and in 
breadth from *71 to ‘6 inch. 
The food of the Crested Lark does not differ from that of its congeners. 
In the spring and summer it is chiefly composed of insects and larvee, and 
in the autumn and winter of various small seeds and grain. The Crested 
Lark is much prized as a songster, and is often kept in confinement. In 
India, according to Jerdon, it is the practice to keep the poor little captive 
in darkness by wrapping several layers of cloth round the cage, in which 
state it not only sings very sweetly but learns to imitate various sounds. 
After the breeding-season the Crested Lark becomes to some extent a 
social bird; but it is never observed in such large flocks as those of the 
Sky-Lark. . 
The typical form of the Crested Lark in breeding-plumage has the 
general colour of the upper parts greyish brown, with a tinge here and 
there of buff, especially on the upper back and nape; the dark centres of 
the feathers are obscurely defined, except on the crest, and are entirely 
absent from the rump and upper tail-coverts, which are very buff; over the 
eye is a buffish-white stripe ; the outermost tail-feather on each side is light 
brown with the outer web buff, and the next is narrowly margined with 
buff on the outside web. The general colour of the underparts is buffish 
white, shading into rich buff on the flanks and thighs; the sides of the 
throat and the breast are spotted with dark brown, and the flanks are 
sparingly streaked with the same colour. Bill brown, paler on the under 
mandible; legs, feet, and claws pale brown; irides hazel. The female 
resembles the male very closely in colour, but has a shorter crest. In 
autumn plumage the pale margins of the feathers are much broader, and 
partially conceal the dark centres, and the whole plumage is more suffused 
with buff. Young in first plumage are much paler than adults and have 
the feathers of the upper parts barred with blackish brown near the tip, 
which is pale buff. The Crested Lark may always be distinguished by its 
crest, by the well-developed first primary (which is nearly as long as the 
primary-coverts), and by the absence of white on the two outer tail- 
feathers. 
