THE SKY-LARK. 163 



vagrant, Pentland Skerries (Orkney) one Oct., 1911, Auskerry 

 (Orkney) one Oct., 1912, and two Oct., 1913. Flannans (0. 

 Hebrides) one Nov., 1913, to Jan., 1914. Isle of May (Forth) one 

 Oct. 16, 1910, one Sept. 29, 1912. Ireland. Formerly in several 

 counties, now extremely rare and apparently breeding only in 

 Wicklow. 



MIGRATIONS. British Isles. Except for Scottish records no 

 evidence of migration, except those of quite a local character, but 

 in severe weather small flocks and single birds are noticed on coast 

 in various parts. 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Middle Scandinavia to south Europe and 

 Ural. Local forms have been separated from Corsica and Sardinia, 

 north-west Africa, south-east Europe, Persia, and Transcaspia, 

 but, though it is certain that southern and eastern birds are paler, 

 their distribution and relations to one another are not yet clearly 

 defined. 



Genus ALAUDA L. 



Alauda Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p 165 (1758 Type by subsequent 

 designation: A arvensis Swainson 1827, Gray 1840). 



Bill stronger than in Lullula, much more slender than in 

 Calandrella. First rudimentary primary visible from below, but 

 minute, much less than half primary-coverts. Inner secondaries 

 very much elongated, but still falling short of primaries. Sexes 

 alike. Contains Sky-Larks and allies, ranging over Europe, Africa 

 north of Sahara, Asia to Japan, Kamtschatka, Formosa, China 

 and India. 



ALAUDA ARVENSIS 



65. Alauda arvensis arvensis L. THE SKY-LARK. 



ALAUDA ARVENSIS Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 165 (1758 " Habitat 

 in Europae apricis." Restricted typical locality: Sweden). 

 Alauda arvensis scotica Tschusi, Orn. Jahrb. xiv, p. 162 (1903 Scotland)- 

 Alauda arvensis Linnaeus, Yarrell, i, p. 614 ; Saunders, p. 249. 



DESCRIPTION. Adult male and 

 female. Winter. Upper-parts brown 

 (varying from yellowish- or buffish- 

 brown to more greyish-brown, occa- 

 sional examples are ashy or mealy 

 or reddish-sandy) broadly streaked 

 black -brown ; feathers of crown, 

 mantle, rump and upper tail- 

 coverts narrowly tipped whitish- Sky-Lark (Alauda a. arvensis). 

 buff ; feathers of hind-part of 



crown elongated (but not narrow) forming slight crest ; feathers 

 of nape paler, and with fine dark streaks ; lores and narrow 



M 2 



