20 BRITISH BIRDS 



Bird. Length 7 in. Upper-parts buffish-brown streaked 

 darker brown. Under-parts pale buff with brown streaks. 

 Wings mostly brown. White edges to 

 outer tail-feathers. Erectile crest. Bufl* 

 stripe over eye. Recognised in flight by 

 broad buff hinder margin of the pointed 

 wings. 



Nest. On the ground, usually in grass 

 or growing crops. Material : grass, bents, 

 lined with finer grasses and generally 

 hair. 



Eggs. Usually 3-4. Greyish, greenish, or 

 brownish-white mottled thickly with olive- 

 Fig. 18. brown and grey. Av. size, "91 x '66 in. 

 Laying begins April-May. Broods 2-3. 



29. Wood-lark [Alauda arborea arborea Linnaeus]. Resident 

 in England and Wales. Local. 



Bird. Length 5J in. In general coloration like the sky- 

 lark, but distinguished from it chiefly by its smaller size, 

 shorter tail, smaller bill, arid the absence of white on the outer 

 tail-feathers. 



Nest. On or near ground often sheltered by bracken, heath, 

 or grass. Material : grass, moss, lined with finer grasses, 

 sometimes hair. 



Eggs. Usually 4. Dirty white spotted with browns and 

 fainter greys. Av. size, '83x'61 in. Laying begins March- 

 April. Broods 2-3. 



(5) Family 3 Motacillidce Wagtails and Pipits 



30. Pied-wagtail [Motacilla alba lugubris Temminck]. Resi- 

 dent nearly all parts. 



Bird. Length 7*30 in. Both this and the white-wagtail 

 are easily recognised by the black, 

 white, and grey plumage, and the 

 long black tail with white outer 

 feathers. In summer the cock 

 pied-wagtail is distinguished from 

 the hen by his black upper-parts 

 (except the white forehead), hens 

 being dark grey mottled with black. 

 After the autumn moult the sexes 

 are much alike ; both have grey backs and white throats 

 instead of black. The summer black on the upper breast is 

 retained to form a band. The young have olive-brown on the 

 upper-parts and greyish instead of black gorget and crown. 



