Black Lark. 



90 THE CASPIAN AREA 



The crown and wing-coverts are light rusty yellow, the secondaries white at the 

 tip and black at the base, the two outer tail-feathers white, and the others blackish 

 brown with white edges ; the flanks are streaked with dark brown, the back is light 

 brown with dark spots, and the under-parts are white. This bird occasionally 

 strays as far west as Belgium, and has been taken in England among a flock of 

 snow-buntings. 



More remarkable than the steppe-lark is the black lark (J/. 



yeltoniensis), which is found between the Volga and the Irtish, and 

 between the Caspian and the mountains of central Asia. It is so numerous near 

 Lake Yelton, north-east of Sarepta, as to be named after that sheet of water. In 

 size it is almost as large as a starling. The females are grey with dark brown 

 spots like other larks, but the males are quite black, especially in summer when 

 the sand-coloured edges of the feathers are worn off. In other respects the species 

 is distinguished by its stout, finch-like beak, and strong, short-toed feet. The 

 black plumage of the cocks forms a striking contrast to the light ground of the 

 steppe ; and its peculiar fluttering flight as it descends makes the bird easily recog- 

 nisable. When singing, it soars to a considerable height, glides on a little distance 

 with half-drooping wings, then soars higher, and hovers almost out of sight until 

 at last it comes to the ground at a considerable slope. Although this lark has 

 straggled into western Europe on a few occasions, it rarely wanders westward 

 of southern Russia. 



The spurred pipit, or Richard's pipit (Anthus richardi), is 



remarkable in more than one way, for not only is it the largest of its 

 genus, measuring 8 inches in length, but it has the claw on the hind-toe over an 

 inch in length, or longer than the toe itself. The feathers of the upper-parts 

 are dark brown edged with pale brown or sandy buff, while below the colour of 

 the plumage is rusty yellowish white shading into rufous on the sides. This 

 species, instead of striding over the ground like other pipits, moves more like a 

 thrush. In flight it resembles a wagtail, and when rising always utters its call, a 

 short "zirp" or " ziep," similar to the chirp of a sparrow. On migration it 

 appears not only in India, but also in southern Europe and northern Africa, though 

 not known to breed there. Stray individuals have been taken in England, 

 Belgium and Holland, on the German coast, and on the islands of the North Sea. 

 Ros stari" ^ e st arnn gs are represented in the Caspian area by the rosy 



starling (Pastor roseus), conspicuous for its pink body and black 

 crested head, wings, and tail. Young birds, which lack the crest, are brownish grey 

 with a whitish throat, and indistinctly spotted on the breast. In length the adult is 

 about 8 inches. The breeding-area of this bird extends from the Caspian east- 

 wards to Mongolia, and westwards to the plains of the Danube. In habits this 

 species resembles the common starling, although the flocks in which it collects are 

 not so large. It is also much more active on the wing, probably by reason of having 

 daily to search a vast extent of country for its food, and being compelled to catch 

 insects in the air after the fashion of the bee-eaters. Its principal food-supply is 

 afforded by the wandering locust, which invades its habitat in cloud-like swarms. 

 The Turks have a saying that it kills ninety-nine of these insects and eats the 

 hundredth. On account of its locust-killing habit it is considered almost sacred by 



