THE WOOD-LARK. 161 



two pairs with smaller wedge-shaped white marks at their tips ; 

 primaries and secondaries black-brown tipped pale buff, primaries 

 narrowly fringed pale buff and secondaries buffish- brown on outer 

 and inner webs, inner secondaries with large wedge-shaped brown 

 marks at tips ; primary-coverts and bastard-wing brown-black 

 broadly tipped huffish-white ; under bastard-wing a conspicuous 

 buffish-white patch ; greater and median coverts brown fringed 

 buff ; lesser coverts same but outer ones tipped buffish-white 

 and inner ones grey-brown. This plumage is acquired by complete 

 moult in early autumn. Summer. No moult. Abrasion of paler 

 fringes of feathers causes crown and mantle to become darker, 

 throat and belly becoming purer white. 



Nestling. (Not examined.) 



Juvenile (Plate 6). Crown, mantle, scapulars, back, primaries, 

 secondaries and wing-coverts black-brown, each feather (including 

 primaries) rounded and evenly margined with pale or whitish- 

 buff ; rump and upper tail-coverts buff-brown, each feather with 

 small paler tip and a penultimate narrow darker band ; nape, 

 eye-stripe, sides of head and under-parts closely resembling adult 

 but streaks on breast short and drop-shaped ; tail black-brown, 

 two outer pairs marked pale buff or buffish-white, central pair 

 brown fringed reddish-brown and tipped pale buff ; primary- 

 coverts and bastard-wing as adult. Feathers of back of crown 

 elongated but not so much as in adult. 



First winter and summer. -Like adults. The juvenile plumage 

 is completely (including wings and tail) moulted in early autumn. 



Measurements and structure. ^ wing 91-98 mm., tail 48-54, 

 tarsus 20-22.5, bill from skull 12-13 (12 measured). $ wing 88-95. 

 Primaries : 1st 3-6 mm. shorter than longest primary-covert (one 

 specimen 1 mm. shorter), 3rd and 4th longest, 5th often as long 

 sometimes 1-2 shorter, 2nd 2-4 shorter, 6th 6-8 shorter ; 3rd to 6th 

 emarginated outer webs. Secondaries between 7th and 10th 

 primaries, tips square and notched, longest between 6th and 7th. 

 In juvenile plumage 1st primary is broader and 1-5 mm. longer 

 than longest primary-coverts. Tail square. Hind claw slightly 

 curved and at least half as long again as hind toe. Bill fine and 

 sharp. A few fine rictal and nasal bristles, nostrils with a prominent 

 operculum and almost bare of feathers. 



Soft parts. Bill, upper mandible dark brown, lower paler 

 with pinkish-brown base ; legs and feet brownish-flesh ; iris umber. 



CHARACTERS AND ALLIED FORMS. Forms from Balkans and Greece 

 (paler) and east Persia (greyer) have been separated as well as 

 others from Sardinia and Corsica and north-west Africa, but require 

 further study. Broad white eye-stripe, white tips to primary- 

 coverts, very short tail are distinctive features in adult. Juvenile 

 closely resembles that of Sky-Lark, but is rather darker and less 

 rufous on upper-parts, whiter nape, darker primary-coverts with 



M 



