282 BRITISH BIRDS. 
few of them westwards in autumn. ‘The following table will enable any 
one to discriminate between the species of this group :— 
A. maxima. 
os. ey of outermost | A, sibirica. } Prevailing colour of secondaries 
a Or ye TELLENE ahc te ee | A, mongolica, white. 
Cae We Shiai Large black patches on the sides 
of the neck. 
A, bimaculata. 
A, tatarica. 
The White-winged Lark has only once been detected in Heligoland, but 
the Black Lark has occurred several times. The Calandra Lark (Alauda 
calandra) is also in Giatke’s collection, and has twice been recorded as a 
British bird ; but in both cases the examples were discovered in the shop 
of a local bird-stuffer. . There can be little doubt that this bird has visited 
England and may visit it again; but being a South-European bird it must 
be looked for in spring. It cannot, however, be included in the British 
list until the capture of an example has been recorded, with particulars of 
date and locality authenticated by some competent witness. The first 
example recorded (Gatcombe, ‘ Zoologist,’ 1863, p. 8768) was said by the 
Plymouth bird-stuffer in whose shop it was found, mounted and cased, to 
have been killed near Devonport; and the second (Gurney, ‘ Zoologist,’ 
1869, p. 1599) was said by an Exeter — stuffer to be a Lapland Bunting 
shot in the neighbourhood. 
The Calandra Lark is a common resident in the basin of the Mediter- 
ranean wherever there are sandy plains ; but itis not known to breed north 
of Venice. It is very rare in Egypt. In South-east Europe its range 
extends slightly more to the north, but the bird is very local. East of the 
Caucasus it breeds throughout Persia and Turkestan as far as Lake Saisan. 
In its habits the Calandra Lark does not differ very much from the 
Sky-Lark. It loves to frequent broad fertile sandy plains and large fields, 
especially of growing grain. Its song usually commences in March, and 
is similar to that of the Sky-Lark, but is not so pleasing nor so pro- 
longed. It is usually uttered when the bird is in the air. It is a very 
industrious singer, and is incessantly soaring into the air, often rising for 
a few yards, then dropping again, without uttering any sound save its 
eall-note, which somewhat resembles that of the Sky-Lark. In the 
pairing-season the males soar and chase each other like Sky-Larks. It is 
a somewhat early breeder, usually commencing its nest’ in April in Spain 
and Greece, but not until June in the Dobrudscha. The nest is always 
built upon the ground amongst herbage, and is made of dry grass, rootlets, 
&c., and lined with finer materials. The eggs are four or five in number, 
and somewhat resemble those of the Sky-Lark, but are indistinguishable 
from those of the White-winged Lark figured on Plate 15, except that, on 
