478 ALAUDIDJl. 



latitude on the approach of winter. It is a common bird 

 in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, during summer, and 

 a few remain in winter; but the greater part migrate 

 southwards. The Sky Lark does not appear to visit the 

 Faroe Islands, Iceland, or Greenland. M. Temminck says 

 it inhabits Siberia, Russia, and Western Asia. It is uni- 

 versal over the European continent to the shores of the 

 Mediterranean, and inhabits also Corfu, Sicily, Malta, 

 the Morea, the shores of the Black Sea, Smyrna, and 

 North Africa. Mr. H. E. Strickland, when at Smyrna, 

 says, " immense flocks of this bird arrived from the 

 northward at the commencement of the severe weather 

 at Christmas, 1835." 



The beak is dark brown above, pale yellow brown at 

 the base of the lower mandible ; irides hazel ; the feathers 

 on the top of the head are elongated, forming a crest, 

 which the bird elevates at pleasure; in colour they are 

 dark brown, with pale brown edges; the nape, back, 

 wings, and upper tail-coverts, varied with three shades of 

 brown, the darkest of which occupies the longitudinal line 

 of the shaft of each feather, and the margin of the feather 

 is the lightest ; the wing-coverts and tertials have broad 

 light brown edges; the quill-feathers dusky brown; the 

 outer tail-feather on each side is white, with a longitudinal 

 streak of brown on the inner web ; the next tail-feather 

 on each side is dark brown, with a longitudinal streak of 

 white on the outer web ; the rest dusky brown, with light 

 brown edges ; the throat and upper part of the breast are 

 pale wood-brown, spotted with dark brown; belly and 

 under tail- coverts pale yellowish white, tinged with brown 

 on the thighs and flanks ; the legs, toes, and claws, brown ; 

 the middle toe rather long ; the claw of the hind toe very 

 long, straight at the base and for half its length, then 

 slightly curved. 



