284 BRITISH BIRDS. 
ALAUDA ALPESTRIS. 
SHORE-LARK. 
(Prats 15.) 
Alauda virginiana, Briss. Orn. iil. p. 867 (1760). 
Alauda alpestris, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 289 (1766); et auctorum plurimorum— 
Gmelin, Latham, (Bonaparte), Nawmann, Temminck, (Salvadori), (Dresser), 
(Newton), &e. 
Alauda flava, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 800 (1788). 
Alauda cornuta, Wels. Am. Orn. i. p. 87, pl. v. fig. 4 (1808). 
Alauda nivalis, Pall. Zoogr. Rosso-Asiat. i. p. 519 (1826). 
Eremophila alpestris (Linn.), Bove, Ists, 1828, p. 322. 
Eremophila cornuta (Wils.), Bote, Isis, 1828, p. 322. 
Phileremos alpestris (Linn.), Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. p. 313 (1831). 
Otocoris alpestris (Linn.), Bonap. Fauna Ital., Uce. Introd. (1832-1841). 
Phileremos cornutus ( Wils.), Bonap. Proc. Zool. Soc, 1837, p. 111. 
Philammus alpestris (Linn.), Gray, List Gen. B. p. 47 (1840). 
Alauda minor, Giraud, Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist. N. York, 1841, no. 16. 
Alauda rufa, Audub. B. Am. viii. p. 236, pl, 497 (1843). 
Otocoris cornuta (Wils.), Bonap. Consp. i. p. 246 (1850). 
Otocoris occidentalis, MacCall. Pr. Ac. N. Se. v. 1851, p. 218. 
The Shore-Lark was formerly a very irregular visitor to the British 
Islands, but during the last few years has occurred annually, sometimes 
in considerable numbers, about sixty examples having been obtained on the 
Norfolk and Suffolk coasts in the winter of 1882-83. Yarrell, im 1856, only 
recorded six English examples. The first specimen recorded as British was 
shot on the beach at Sherringham, in Norfolk, in March 1880, and is now 
in the Norwich Museum. It is of frequent occurrence in Scotland, and was 
first made known as a visitor to that country in 1859. Several flocks have 
been observed at different times; and Gray remarks that he has no doubt 
that it is a frequent, if not an annual, visitor to the eastern coasts of that 
country. It does not appear to have been noticed in Ireland. 
The Shore-Lark is a cireumpolar bird, breeding on the tundras of both 
hemispheres beyond the limits of forest-growth. In the Palearctic Region 
it breeds in the extreme north-east of Norway, and as far south as Quickiok 
in lat. 67°, where it is said to breed in the fells ; it passes through Finland 
and Archangel on migration, breeding only north of the forests. In the 
valley of the Petchora at Ust Zylma, in lat. 653°, it passed through in 
great numbers on migration, but we did not again see it until we reached 
sat. 674°. In the valley of the Obb, Finsch first met with it in lat. 673°; 
