162 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



longer whitish tips, longer first primarj', much finer bill, outer 

 tail-feathers not entirely white. 



Field -CHARACTERS. — Short tail, huffish -white eye-stripes meeting 

 at nape, and pinkish-brown, not yellowish-brown, legs at once 

 distinguish Wood-Lark from Sky-Lark at close quarters. Some- 

 times sings on ground or top of tree or bush but more usually in the 

 air, and often at as great a height as Sky-Lark, but whereas song 

 of that species seldom lasts more than five minutes, Wood-Lark's 

 may be maintained without cessation for an hour as the bird swings 

 to and fro in wide half-circles above its nesting-place. The ascent 

 is made, not perpendicularly like Skj-Lark's, but in a spiral curve, 

 short tail being especially noticeable in soaring bird. Song, 

 sweeter but less varied than Sky-Lark's, is not so monotonous 

 as often stated. Comprises series of short phrases, each being 

 repetition of one note, now tinkling song-note of Pipit, then one 

 resembling " dee-ur " of Wood- Wren, and again, and perhaps 

 most frequently, a flute-like " lu-lu." After young are fledged 

 birds keep together in family parties, and at times combine in 

 larger flocks. Call-note, a melodious " tloo-ee-et," often attracts 

 attention to these httle parties as birds run on turf : it is also 

 uttered on wmg. 



Breeding-habits. — Nests on or close to ground m depression, 

 sheltered by bracken, grass or heath, m open sandy country or 

 on hillsides with plenty of cover. Nest. — Neatly constructed of 

 bents with moss in foundation, and finer grass, horsehair, etc., in 

 lining. Eggs. — 4-5, very rarely 6, with greyish-white ground, closely 

 freckled with fine reddish-brown or olive-brown spots, and violet- 

 grey shell-marks, m some cases with well-defined zone at big end. 

 Average of 100 eggs, 21.1 x 15.6 mm. Breeding-season. — ^Begins 

 end March and early April and lasts till June. Incubation. — ^Lasts 

 14-15 days, apparently by hen only. Young leave nest before 

 they can fly. Two broods as a rule. 



Food. — Chiefly insects, especiaUy coleoptera and their larvae, small 

 orthoptera, diptera, etc., but also seeds of grasses and other plants. 

 Young fed on diptera and caterpillars. 



Distribution. — England and Wales. — Resident. Locally distri- 

 buted, most frequent southern counties, especially Devon, local 

 lower Severn and Thames valleys, from Bucks, to west Norfolk and 

 Suffolk, in southern Midlands and south Wales ; northwards very 

 scarce, but breeds rarely parts of Yorks., and probably parts of 

 north Wales ; breeding has been recorded from Lines., Lanes, and 

 Cumberland, and vagrants from Northumberland and Durham. 

 Has undoubtedly decreased, and is not now found in places where 

 formerly known. Scotland. — Rare but regular autumn-winter 

 visitor to Fair Isle, arriving from end Sept. to beginning Nov. 

 sometimes staying winter and even as late as April 2. Elsewhere 



