THE CRESTED LARK 183 



more sandy in tint, and the dark centres to the feathers are less conspicuous. 



Col. Irby, in his " Ornithology of the Straits of Gibraltar " gives the 

 following account of this species : " The Crested Lark is one of the most 

 abundant birds both in Morocco and Andalucia, though never seen in any 

 great numbers together. They are distributed in pairs on every road-track 

 and open plain, often at intervals of only some twenty yards. Excessively 

 tame and fearless, they have acquired the name of Carretera, from their habit 

 of frequenting roads, to which they resort as much on account of the horse 

 and mule-dung, at which they are to be seen pecking, as for the purpose of 

 dusting themselves ; and they are often to be noticed on the sea-shore, running 

 about like a Sanderling within a yard of the water. 



They have no song worthy of the name, and are altogether rather vulgar 

 and uninteresting birds. This species is one of those which I could not 

 detect migrating in the slightest degree. 



The Crested Lark usually commences to lay about the aoth of April, 

 placing the nest in some tuft of grass or under shelter of a small stone or 

 clod of earth constructing it, like those of other Larks, with bits of grass, 

 bents, etc., lined with hair." 



Howard Saunders says : " The nest, often commenced early in March, is 

 usually placed in some such depression of the dry ground as a hoof-print, or 

 amongst herbage, but sometimes on an old wall or bank of earth, or even on 

 the ridge of a low thatched shed in the fields ; the materials employed being 

 dry grass and roots. The eggs, four to five in number, vary from greyish - 

 white distinctly spotted with brown and violet grey, to greenish-grey mottled 

 with olive brown : average measurements '95 by '68 in. Incubation, in which 

 the male takes part, lasts a fortnight. The Crested Lark is a tame and 

 conspicuous bird, frequenting sandy roads in which it is fond of dusting 

 itself and running with great rapidity, while I have often seen it glide 

 beneath a horse when at a slow walk, rather than take wing. Its flight is 

 undulating and resembles that of the Wood-Lark. It is not gregarious, and is 

 generally seen singly, or in pairs and family parties. The short but rather 

 liquid and melodious song of the male is generally uttered on the ground, 

 though often during a short flight, and occasionally from a bush ; the note 

 may be syllabled as ' coo-hai.' The young are fed on insects and their larvae, 

 but seeds and grain form the principal food of this species, and in snowy 

 weather it may be seen examining horse droppings, etc." Manual of British 

 Birds, p. 244. 



Dixon says that in Algeria he " often saw this bird soar into the air for 



