530 



SHORE LARK. 



(Alauda alpestris.) 



AL. rectricibus dimidio interior e albis, gula Jlava, fascia subocu- 



lari pectoralique nigra. 

 Lark with the inner half of the tail-feathers white, the throat 



yellow, and a band beneath the eyes and on the breast black. 

 Alauda alpestris. Lin. Syst. Nat. 1. 289. 10. Gmel. Syst. Nat. 



1. 800. Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 4Q8. 21. 

 Alauda virginiana. Briss. Orn. 3. 36f. 12. 

 Le Haussecol noir. Buff. Hist. Nat. Ois. 5. 55. 

 Shore Lark. Pen. Arct. Zool 2. 278. Catesb. Carol. I. pi. 32. 



Phil. Trans. LXII. 3g&.Lath. Gen. Syn. 4. 385. 19. 



A VERY abundant species in North America, 

 visiting the country about Albany in the early 

 part of May, and retiring to the northern parts to 

 breed : in the winter it makes its appearance in 

 Virginia and Carolina : it is called Snow-bird, or 

 Ortolan ; the former from its being abundant in 

 the winter, and the latter from its delicious flavour: 

 during the winter many are captured by horse- 

 hair springes, which are placed in the snow : it 

 feeds on grain, grass, and the buds of the birch : 

 it is quite destitute of a song. 



The length of this species is six inches and a 

 half: its beak and legs are black : the upper parts 

 of its body are reddish brown, striped with dusky : 

 the forehead and space round the eyes are of a 

 clear yellow : from the beak, passing beneath the 

 eye and on the sides of the neck, is a stripe of 



