154 



A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Short-toed Lark 

 (Calandrella b. brachydactyla). 



CALANDRELLA BRACHYDACTYLA 



6i. Calandrella brachydactyla brachydactyla (Leisler) — THE 



SHORT-TOED LARK. 



Alauda brachydactyla Leisler, Ann. Wetterau. Ges., in, p. 357, pi. 19 

 (1814 — Montpellier in France). 



Calandrella brachydactyla (Leisler), Yarrell, i, p. 637 ; Alauda brachy- 

 dactyla Leisler, Saunders, p. 255. 



Description. — Adult male and 

 female. Winter. — Whole upper-parts 

 var3dng from pale greyish-brown to 

 sandy-buff, broadly streaked black- 

 brown ; nape more uniform with 

 very fine streaks ; rump and upper 

 tail-coverts with scarcely any streaks 

 (croAvn in sandy-coloured specimens 

 usually reddish with fine dark 

 streaks) ; lores and superciliary 

 stripe whitish-buff ; ear-coverts grey 

 to sandy-brown ; cheeks minutely 

 spotted dark brown ; chin, throat, 

 breast, belly and under tail-coverts white with a sandy-buff band 

 across upper-breast ; fianks washed sandy-buff ; on each side of 

 upper- breast a dark brown patch ; axillaries and under wing- 

 coverts white tinged sandy-buff ; tail-feathers, central pair dark 

 brown broadly fringed sandj'-buff, rest blacker brown, outer pair 

 with buffish-white outer web and large wedge-shaped mark on 

 inner web, penultimate pair with most of outer web buffish-white, 

 rest narrowly edged and tipped same ; primaries brown tipped 

 and edged on outer webs buff and on proximal half of inner webs 

 whitish ; secondaries same, but inner feathers broadly edged and 

 tipped sandy or whitish-buff ; primary-coverts like primaries ; 

 greater and median coverts like inner secondaries but with reddish- 

 buff marks above the pale tips ; lesser coverts more uniform buff. 

 This plumage is acquired by complete moult in early autumn 

 Summer. — No moult and abrasion causes little change, but crown 

 becomes rather more uniform, dark streaks on upper-parts and 

 dark patches on sides of upper-breast more pronounced. 



JSlestlitig. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. — Upper-parts in general coloration varying as adults, 

 each feather evenly tipped white to whitish-buff with a penultimate 

 dark mark, giving upper-parts (including rump and upper tail 

 coverts and median and lesser wing-coverts) a spotted appearance ; 

 tail, wing-feathers, primary- and greater coverts with even margins 

 of white to buff ; lores, supercihary stripe and ear-coverts as adult 

 but some of latter with minute whitish tips ; under-parts white 

 with an irregular band of dark brown spots across upper-breast 

 coalescing and forming dark patches at sides as in adult. 



