THE WOOD-LARK. 161 



two pairs with smaller wedge-shaped white marks at their tips ; 

 primaries and secondaries black-broAvii tipped pale buff, primaries 

 narrowly fringed pale buff and secondaries huffish -brown on outer 

 and inner webs, inner secondaries with large wedge-shaped brown 

 marks at tips ; primary-coverts and bastard-wing brown-black 

 broadly tipped buffish-white ; under bastard-wing a conspicuous 

 buffish-white patch ; greater and median coverts brown fringed 

 buff ; lesser coverts same but outer ones tipped buffish-white 

 and inner ones grey-brown. This plumage is acquired by complete 

 moult in early autumn. Summer. — No moult. Abrasion of paler 

 fringes of feathers causes croAvn and mantle to become darker, 

 throat and belly becoming purer white. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile (Plate 6). — ^Crown, mantle, scapulars, back, primaries, 

 secondaries and wing-coverts black-bro^vTl, each feather (including 

 primaries) rounded and evenly margined mth pale or whitish- 

 buff ; rump and upper tail-coverts buff -brown, each feather Avith 

 small paler tip and a penultimate narrow darker band ; nape, 

 eye-stripe, sides of head and under-parts closely resembling adult 

 but streaks on breast short and drop-shaped ; tail black-broAvn, 

 two outer pairs marked pale buff or buffish-white, central pair 

 brown fringed reddish-brown and tipped pale buff ; primarj''- 

 co verts and bastard- wing as adult. Feathers of back of crown 

 elongated but not so much as in adult. 



First winter and summer. — ^Like adults. The juvemle plumage 

 is completely (including wings and tail) moulted in early autumn. 



Measurements and structure. — (^ wing 91-98 mm., taU 48-54, 

 tarsus 20-22.5, bill from skull 12-13 (12 measured). $ %ving 88-95. 

 Primaries : 1st 3-6 mm. shorter than longest primary-covert (one 

 specimen 1 mm. shorter), 3rd and 4th longest, 5th often as long 

 sometimes 1-2 shorter, 2nd 2-4 shorter, 6th 6-8 shorter ; 3rd to 6th 

 emarginated outer webs. Secondaries between 7th and 10th 

 primaries, tips square and notched, longest between 6th and 7th. 

 In juvenile plumage 1st primary is broader and 1-5 mm. longer 

 than longest primary-coverts. Tail square. Hmd claw slightly 

 curved and at least half as long again as hind toe. Bill fine and 

 sharp. A few fine rictal and nasal bristles, nostrils with a prominent 

 operculum and almost bare of feathers. 



Soft parts. — Bill, upper mandible dark brown, lower paler 

 with pinkish-broMTi base ; legs and feet brownish -flesh ; iris umber. 



Characters and allied forms. — Forms from Balkans and Greece 

 (paler) and east Persia (greyer) have been separated as well as 

 others from Sardinia and Corsica and north-Avest Africa, but require 

 fiirther study. Broad Avhite eye-strii^e, white tips to primary- 

 coverts, very short tail are distinctive features in adult. Juvenile 

 closely resembles that of Sky-Lark, but is rather darker and less 

 rufous on upper-parts, whiter nape, darker primary- coverts with 



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