240 SHORT-TOED I.ARK. 



Turkestan, and the northern half of India. This Lark is one of a 

 group of nearly allied species which have been justifiably placed 

 in the genus Calandrella, characterized by the absence of crest, 

 a stout conical bill, straight and short hind-toe, and by the infini- 

 tesimal — almost invisible — bastard primary. I have not, however, 

 considered it expedient to use this genus at the head of the present 

 article, when treating of a mere wanderer in a work for British 

 readers. Several of its congeners are found over part of the same 

 area as the typical Short-toed Lark ; for instance, CalandreUa bxtica 

 in the extreme south of Spain, C. vii7ior in North Africa and the 

 Canaries, and C. pispoletta in the steppe-region between the Volga 

 and China ; but these three are still more closely related to one 

 another than to our bird, being distinctly marked with numerous 

 dark brown streaks on the throat and breast, as the Skylark is ; their 

 eggs, moreover, are creamy-white with bold spots. 



The nest is placed on the ground in any slight cavity, very often 

 in a deep hoof-print ; dry grass, with a few feathers and hair as 

 a lining, forming the materials. The eggs, 4-5 in number, are dull 

 white, mottled and freckled with greyish-brown : average measure- 

 ments 75 by "57 in. During the breeding-season the bird frequents 

 dry and sandy soil, and plains where the herbage is somewhat 

 scanty ; while its tameness is such as often to cause difficulty in 

 shooting a specimen for identification without blowing it to pieces, 

 and I have seen a bird cut down with a whip in the road. The 

 male utters his short and rather feeble song while perched on some 

 clod or low wall, or during a brief, undulating, and somewhat jerky 

 flight. In autumn and winter large flocks are formed, and in India, 

 according to Jerdon. they quite darken the air. The food consists 

 principally of small seeds. 



The adult has the upper parts pale rufous-brown with darker 

 streaks ; a white line over each eye ; central tail-feathers dusky- 

 brown, the rest blackish-brown, except the outer pair which are 

 broadly margined with buffish-white ; under parts white, with a io.'f^ 

 brown spots and streaks on the sides of the neck, and a buffish tinge 

 on the breast and flanks. After the moult both upper and under parts 

 have a warm rufous tint, which is sometimes retained until the middle 

 of the following May. Length 5*5 in. ; wing 3 "4 in. The sexes 

 are alike in plumage ; the young bird has the feathers of the upper 

 parts, including the tail, broadly margined and tipped with buff. 

 The short and conical bill is yellowish-brown ; the legs pale brown ; 

 the hind claw straight and, as a rule, short, but it is subject to con- 

 siderable variation. 



