CRESTED LARK. 633 



catecl by the writer's name might well have been passed 

 over, but since it has been quoted in most recent works in 

 British ornithology, it is here left to stand for what it may 

 be thought worth. In like manner the assertion, made in 

 former editions of this History, that more than one example 

 of the Crested Lark had since been obtained in Ireland 

 must be repeated here, though the Editor has failed to 

 obtain any confirmation of it from the naturalists of that 

 kingdom. 



The first British-killed specimen about which no doubt 

 can exist is one in Mr. Bond's collection, and from it, by 

 his kindness, the figure here given was taken. It was pro- 

 cured at Littlehampton, and its occurrence was made 

 known in the second edition of this work, published in 

 1845. In September, 1846, two male examples, shot by 

 Mr. Vingoe on the roadside between Penzance and Marazion, 

 were recorded by Mr. Rodd (Zool. p. 1497). One of these 

 is now in his collection and the other in that of Mr. J. H. 

 Gurney, jun. In October, 1850, another specimen was 

 obtained in the same neighbourhood (Zool. p. 3033). A 

 fifth English example, now in Mr. Monk's collection, was 

 taken near Shoreham by a birdcatcher, 20th October, 1863, 

 and seen alive the same day by Mr. Rowley (Ibis, 1864, 

 p. 224), while, apparently in the autumn of 1865, a sixth 

 was killed by Mr. Gill of Falmouth, who still possesses the 

 specimen, at a place called Budock Bottoms, as recorded by 

 Dr. Bullmore in his 'Cornish Fauna' (p. 20). A "crested 

 lark" is also said to have been seen near Blackheath, 1st 

 June, 1867 (Zool. s.s. p. 1167), by Mr. Hutchinson*. 



When we consider that this species is common just on 

 the other side of the Straits of Dover, its rare occurrence on 

 our own shores is the more singular, and perhaps is only to 

 be explained by the fact that it is, as Larks go, very little of 

 a voyager, living for the most part solitarily or in small 

 companies, and seldom if ever flocking to undertake great 

 migrations. Moreover, from some cause with which we are 



* The occurrence of one at Macelesiield is also mentioned in 'Nature' for 

 18th December, 1873 (ix. p. 132). 



VOL. I. 4 M 



