CRESTED LARK. 483 



key, Greece, and Asia Minor ; it is found also in Spain, 

 North Africa, Sicily, Crete, and in Egypt. 



The beak of the Crested Lark is thicker, stronger, and 

 more curved than that of the Sky Lark, brown along 

 the ridge and at the point, but paler on the sides and at 

 the base ; the crown of the head reddish brown, with a 

 few feathers elongated, forming a crest and pointing back- 

 wards ; irides hazel ; from the eye passing over the ear- 

 coverts a streak of buffy white ; ear-coverts and back of 

 the neck dark brown ; back, wing-coverts, and wings, 

 brown, the shaft and central portion of each feather dark 

 brown; the wing-coverts and tertials edged with buffy 

 white ; the two middle tail-feathers nearly uniform light 

 brown; the outer tail-feather on each side light brown, 

 with a buffy -white outer margin; the other tail-feathers 

 dark brown. The chin white ; neck in front, breast and 

 under parts pale yellow brown ; the breast and flanks 

 streaked with darker brown ; legs, toes, and claws, pale 

 brown. The whole length of the bird is six inches and 

 three-quarters ; length of wing from the anterior bend to 

 the end of the second quilr=feather, which is the longest, 

 four inches and one-eighth ; length of beak along the ridge 

 seven lines ; the tarsus one inch ; the hind toe and claw 

 nine lines. 



Mr. Gould mentions that the females of this species are 

 smaller than the males, and have a shorter crest. 



i i 



