128 FAUNA OF SHROPSHIRE 



of 1894, the Rev. J. B. Meredith saw a Rook kill and 

 eat a Thrush. Varieties are not uncommon, having 

 white spots and patches in the plumage. 



SKYLARK B. Very plentiful. Its lovely trilling song 

 Alauda arvcnsis. is the delight of all who hear it and 



although usually to be heard while the 

 bird is soaring is often uttered when it 

 is squatting on the ground. This 

 bird is killed for the table, and is very 

 good eating, though, to the writer, it seems a thousand 

 pities that it should ever be destroyed for this purpose. 

 He is bound to admit, however, that the Lark does con- 

 siderable damage to spring wheat. 



WOOD LARK B. Resembles the last, but is smaller 

 A. arborea. and has a much shorter tail and shorter 



hind claw. Its song, too, is little in- 

 ferior to the Skylark's, but it more often utters it while 

 perched, or on the ground. It occurs very sparingly 

 throughout Shropshire. 



Short-toed Lark. Very rare. The first specimen recorded 

 A . bvachydactyla. in England was caught near Shrews- 



bury, October 25th, 1841. (See page 30). 



Shore Lark. A bird usually found only near the sea-shore. One 

 Otocorys alpcslvis. was shot at Enville (outside the County), 



Dec. yth, 1879. 



Swift B. Provincial name, Jack Screamer, or Squealer ; 



Cypsclus apus. . in allusion to its harsh screaming cry, 



Apl. iv. Aug. in. uttered as it dashes on in its headlong 



flight. Of our Summer visitors this is 



almost the last to arrive, and the first to leave. 



