166 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



same routes from late Feb. to early April. From mid -Sept. to 

 early Nov. vast numbers from central Europe arrive between 

 Tees and Kent ; from north Europe throughout Oct. and early 

 Nov. (main arrival Oct. 10 to 21) in Shetlands, and east coast 

 Scotland and north-east coast England. Majority of central 

 European birds pass on, following route taken by our residents, 

 while north European birds form bulk of winter-residents, many 

 crossing to Ireland. Spring-emigration from Ireland along same 

 lines from mid-Feb. to late March. Our winter-visitors leave 

 north-east and east coasts for north and central Europe from 

 mid-Feb. to early May. Return movement of " passage-birds " 

 observed second week March to mid- April. Occasional " weather 

 movements " all three coasts in Dec, Jan. and Feb. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Europe with exception .of south Italy 

 and south-east Europe, and Mediterranean islands, where it is 

 represented by a very closely allied subspecies. Other allied forms 

 inhabit west Siberia and other portions of north and middle Asia 

 and north-west Africa. Casual in Bermuda. 



66. Alauda arvensis cinerascens Ehmcke — THE EASTERN 



SKY-LARK. 



Alauda cineeascfns Ehmcke, Journ. f. Om. 1904, p. 313 (author 



altered name because it had been preoccupied — A. cinerea Gmelin, 



Syst. Nat. i, 2, p. 798, 1789. — According to Article 36 of the Rules, 



Ehmcke's alteration must be accepted.)* 



Alauda cinerea Ehmcke, Journ. f. Orn., 1903, p. 149 (Barnaul in W. 



Siberia). 



Alauda arvensis cinerea, W. E. Clarke, Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1906, p. 139 ; 



Hand-List B.B., p. 31 (1912). 



Description. — Advlt male arid female. Winter. — ^Like Alauda 

 a. arvensis, but upper-parts with hght and dark colours more 

 contrasted and cleaner looking, pale tips of feathers being whiter 

 and fringes being pale pinkish-buff not so yellowish ; under-parts 

 much whiter without yellowish tinge, lower-breast, belly and 

 under tail-coverts pure white ; upper-breast pale pinkish-buff 

 (not yellowish). Summer. — Difference in under-parts not so 

 marked, but A. a. cinerascens always purer white, upper- parts 

 considerably greyer with dark markings more clearly cut and more 

 strongly contrasted. 



Juvenile. — Like that of ^. a. arvensis but less yellowish, tips 

 of feathers of upper-parts being white and under-parts being white 

 without yellowish tinge. 



Measurements and structure. — As A. a. arvensis. 



• I have formerly not fully recognized Art. 36 of the P?ules, but now 

 accept necessity of doing so. — E.H. 



