SHORE LARK 311 



informs us, that they visit the environs of Albany fort, in the 

 beginning of May; but go farther north to breed; that they feed 

 on grass seeds, and buds of the sprig birch, and run into small 

 holes, keeping close to the ground; from whence the natives 

 call them chi-chup-pi-sue.* This same species appears also to 

 be found in Poland, Russia, and Siberia in winter, from whence 

 they also retire farther north on the approach of spring; except 

 in the north-east parts, and near the high mountains.! 



The length of this bird is seven inches, the extent twelve in- 

 ches; the forehead, throat, sides of the neck, and line over the 

 eye is of a delicate straw or Naples yellow, elegantly relieved 

 by a bar of black, that passes from the nostril to the eye, below 

 which it falls, rounding, to the depth of three-quarters of an 

 inch; the yellow on the forehead and over the eye is bounded, 

 within, for its whole length, with black, which covers part of 

 the crown; the breast is ornamented with a broad fan-shaped 

 patch of black; this as well as all the other spots of black are 

 marked with minute curves of yellow points; back of the neck, 

 and towards the shoulders a light drab tinged with lake; lesser 

 wing coverts bright cinnamon; greater wing coverts the same, 

 interiorly dusky, and tipt with whitish; back and wings drab- 

 coloured, tinged with reddish, each feather of the former hav- 

 ing a streak of dusky black down its centre; primaries deep 

 dusky, tipt and edged with whitish; exterior feathers most so; 

 secondaries broadly edged with light drab, and scolloped at the 

 tips; tail forked, black; the two middle feathers, which by some 

 have been mistaken for the coverts, are reddish drab, centred 

 with brownish black; the two outer ones on each side exterior- 

 ly edged with white; breast of a dusky vinous tinge, and mar- 

 ked with spots or streaks of the same; the belly and vent white; 

 sides streaked with bay; bill short (Latham, in mistake, says 

 seven inches^), of a dusky blue colour; tongue truncate and 

 bifid; legs and claws black; hind heel very long and almost 



* Phil. Trans, vol. LXII, p, 398. 



t Arct. ZooL t Syn. vol. n, p.- 385, 



