248 WHITE-WINGED LARK. 



The nest, generally built early in May, is placed on the ground 

 under a tussock of grass, and the eggs, 3-5 in number, are yellowish- 

 white, spotted and mottled with several shades of brown and 

 violet-grey: average measurements "95 by '65 in. In Russia the bird 

 does not arrive until the grass is green, and, according to Eversmann, 

 prefers those portions of the steppes which are most clothed with 

 herbage ; while Pallas, who was the first to observe this species on 

 the banks of the Irtish, describes it as frequenting the road-sides and 

 uttering its song — similar to that of the Skylark but shorter — when 

 hovering at a moderate height from the ground. During the cold 

 season it is found in large flocks and is very tame. The food is 

 probably similar to that of other Larks. 



The adult male has the top of the head and ear-coverts pale 

 chestnut ; lores and eye-stripe dull white ; back tawny-brown with 

 dark stripes down the centre of each feather ; upper wing-coverts 

 chestnut, the greater rufous-brown ; outer primaries dark brown, the 

 inner ones and the secondaries chiefly white, forming a large and 

 conspicuous bar or patch ; tail-coverts, and the central tail-feathers 

 broadly edged with chestnut, the outer pair of tail-feathers white, 

 the rest dark brown with white or pale margins ; under parts white, 

 with brown and rufous spots on the throat, gorget and flanks ; 

 under wing-coverts white ; bill horn-colour ; legs yellowish-brown. 

 Length 7*5 in. ; wing 4'6 in. The female is rather smaller and 

 exhibits hardly any tinge of rufous on her brown-streaked crown, 

 and but little on the wings, tail or breast. After the autumn moult 

 the plumage is tinged with buff. The young resemble the female. 

 The stout bill, chestnut tint, white wing-patch, and white under 

 wing-coverts are sufficiently distinctive of this species. 



Two examples of the Calandra Lark, Alauda calandra, said to 

 have been killed in England, have been recognized in the shops of 

 bird-stuffers at Devonport and Exeter respectively ; but the evidence 

 is not sufficient to warrant the introduction to the British list of a 

 species which is very tolerant of confinement, and is one of the 

 commonest cage-birds in Spain and Italy. 



The White-winged, Calandra, and other stout-billed Larks have 

 been placed in several genera, the favourite one being Melano- 

 corypha ; but that name is, at best, misleading, for the Calandra, 

 which is the type, has not a black crown, nor would it be easy to 

 define the characters which distinguish the genus from Calaiidrella. 



