THE CALANDRA LARK. 153 



throat and white on inner web of outer pair of tail-feathers dis- 

 tinguish it from other British Larks. 



Field-characters. — Distinguished from all other British Larks 

 ■(except Black and perhaps White-winged) by its size, being almost 

 as big as a Song-Thrush. Conspicuous white tips to secondaries form 

 a ready distinction, when seen in flight, from female of Black Lark, 

 while black patch on side of neck and absence of white on base of 

 secondaries distinguish it from White-winged Lark (F.C.R.J.). 



Breeding-habits. — Nests in depression in oj^en country, especially 

 rough pastures or cornfields, and frequently sheltered by a thistle 

 or other conspicuous plant. Nest. — Dead grasses and bents, lined 

 with finer materials. Eggs. — Usually 4 or 5, but clutches of 6 and 

 7 have been recorded ; ground dirty white, rather boldly spotted 

 and blotched with ochreous-browii and grey shell-marks. The 

 greenish shade often foinid in fresh eggs soon fades. Average 

 size of 100 eggs, 24.2 X 17.8 mm. Breeding -season. — From early 

 April in Spain and late April in Greece to June — so apparently 

 double-brooded. 



Food. — Naumann states that it feeds on grain and wild seeds and 

 Trby notes that it is destructive to young shoots of field-peas. 

 Also eats insects and their larvae (orthoptera, small coleoptera, etc.). 



Distribution. — England. — Two obtained (from party of five) 

 at Filsham Farm, St. Leonards-on-Sea (Sussex), May 16th and 

 17th, 1916 {ut supra). Two said to have been obtained in Devon 

 {Zool., 1863, p. 8768, 1869, p. 1599, 1876, p. 4835), not considered 

 authentic. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — South Europe : Spain and south France, 

 Mediterranean Islands to Balkan Peninsula and south Russia (as 

 far as the Caspian Sea), Asia Minor and Armenia, Palestine, also 

 .Marocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Occasional stragglers in Heligoland 

 and in Germany ; as this Lark is often kept in cages, single occur- 

 rences require careful consideration. Replaced by another race 

 in western Persia, Transcaspia, to Turkestan. 



Genus CALANDRELLA Kaup. 



Calandrella Kaup, Skizz. Entw. iind Natiirl. System, p. 39 (1829 — 

 Genotype — only sp. mentioned — C. hrachydactyla). 



Might almost be described as a miniature Melanocorypha. 

 Bill short, nearly conical, 1st primary not visible, hidden under 

 primary-coverts, 2nd to 4th as a rule about equal and longest. 

 Secondaries very long, in G. hrachydactyla quite or nearly as long 

 as primaries. Hind claw about as long as hind toe, a little curved. 

 Sexes alike. Europe, Asia and Africa. 



