SHORE-LARK. 607 



later two were shot at Aldeburgh in Suffolk. Early in 

 1865 a flock of about a score appeared at Gunton near 

 Lowestoft, from which three were obtained, one was caught 

 in the Hackney marshes near London, and about the same 

 time a flock was observed near St. Andrews out of which 

 two were trapped. In April 1866 two were shot, out of a 

 flock of about a dozen, near Flamborough, and during the 

 following winter some four pairs were killed on the coast of 

 Norfolk and Suffolk. In November 1868, one was netted at 

 Dover, and in the winter of 1869-70, a considerable number 

 must have visited the east and south coasts of this island, 

 no less than seventeen specimens having been procured, 

 while others were seen, at various localities reaching from 

 Aberdeen in the north to Weymouth in the south, between 

 the middle of November and the month of March following. 

 Next winter still more appeared, but the flight seems to 

 have arrived at Salthouse on the north coast of Norfolk and 

 not to have extended further. Before the end of November 

 at least forty had been shot and more than a score were killed 

 in the following January, besides which Mr. Upcher had 

 seen others. In the winter of 1871-72 only one specimen 

 was recorded as obtained, namely at Whitby, which seems to 

 have been the last observed in this country, but the two past 

 winters, it will be remembered, have been singularly mild. 

 A remarkable fact, first noticed by Mr. Stevenson, is that 

 until 1865 inclusive every example procured on our shores 

 which had been dissected proved to be a cock, but in the 

 great visitation of 1870-71, a fair proportion of hens ap- 

 peared, while all seemed to be young birds of the year*. 



The Shore-Lark inhabits the northern parts of Asia and 

 Europe. It is also very widely distributed in America and 

 elaborate accounts of it are given by the ornithologists of 

 that country. It seems however more proper to describe its 

 habits as observed in our own quarter of the globe rather 



* The only instance recorded of the occurrence of this bird in Britain except 

 on the shores of the North Sea and the English Channel is by Mr. Morris (Br. 

 B. Ed. 2, ii. p. 151) and said to have been at Llandudno, but unfortunately no 

 particulars are yiven by him. 



