102 British Birds, 



grasses, and contains four or five egp^s of a greenish 

 cast, and mottled with dusky brown or dark cinereous 

 markino^s. 



TAWNY VlVlT-~{Anihus campestris). 

 An occasional straggler to our coasts. 



RICHARD'S mFlT—(Anf/ius Ricardi). 



An occasional visitor to our shores ; a good many 

 instances in all having been met with. 



FAMILY XV.— ALAUPIDiE. 



SHORE LARK — {Otocorys alpestris ; formerly, 

 A Ian da alpestris). 



Only a very few of these birds have been met with 

 in Britain. 



SKY LARK— (^/^«^^ arvensis). 



Lark, Field Lark, Laverock. — Very few words of 

 description are requisite in the case of this every- 

 where familiar and favourite songster. Up in the 

 sky, and soaring still, he pours out his joyous strains, 

 suggesting to us much more forcibly than any other 

 bird does in its song the thought that it is offering 

 praise and thanks to the Lord of Creation : so that 

 the thought in the old Shakespearian song, 



" Hark ! Hark ! the Lark at Heaven's gate sings," 



seems by no means fanciful to us. Once, many years 



