354 BKITISn BIRDS' NESTS. 



Snipe. Local and other names, none. Harmonises 

 in appearance with its surroundings, and sits closely. 



WOOD LARK. 



Description of Parent Birds. — Length about six 

 inches. Bill of medium length, straight, and dusky 

 brown, lighter at the base of the under mandible. 

 Irides hazel. Crown light brown, streaked with a 

 darker shade of the same colour ; feathers form an 

 erectile crest. Over the eye and ear-coverts is a 

 streak of pale yellowish-brown. The np]3er parts of 

 the body are of a light reddish-brown, streaked 

 and patched with dusky on the neck and back. 

 Wing-quills dusky, bordered with brown. Tail- 

 coverts long and brown. Tail short, onter feathers 

 on either side brownish-black, tipped with dirty 

 white. Throat, breast, belly, and vent yellowish- 

 white, tinged with brown, the first-named being 

 sparingly speckled and streaked with a darker hue ; 

 breast streaked and spotted more thickly with the 

 same colour. Legs, toes, and claws brown ; hind 

 claw long and curved. 



The female is smaller tlian the male, and is 

 said to be yellower on the breast and to have 

 larger markings. Distinguished from the Skylark 

 by its more slender bill and shorter tail. 



Situation and Localitij. — On the ground, usually 

 well concealed by a tuft of grass, low plant, or 

 bramble ; sometimes at the foot of a tree or on the 

 side of a bank, in fields and pastures, on commons 

 and heaths adjoining woods, copses, and plantations, 

 most numerously in the southern counties, occa- 

 sionally in the north, and rarely in Scotland and 

 Ireland. 



Matei-iaJs. — Coarse grass on the outside, finer 



