SHORE LARK. 3 



the moss in which it is embedded, and is placed on the 

 ground, in the desolate regions where moss is almost the only 

 vegetation. 



The eggs are four or five in number, greyish white, spotted 

 with pale blue and brown spots. They are laid in the be- 

 ginning of July. 



The young, says Mr. Audubon, which are hatched about 

 the middle of July, and fully fledged by the 1st. of August, 

 leave the nest before they are able to fly, and follow their 

 parents over the moss, in which they drop and endeavour to 

 conceal themselves on the appearance of any danger. They 

 run nimbly, and are fed for about a week. If observed and 

 pursued, the same author further relates, that they utter n 

 soft 'peep,' open their wings to aid them in their escape, and 

 separating, make off with great celerity. On such occasions 

 it is difficult to secure more than one of them, unless several 

 persons be present, when each can overtake a bird. The 

 parents all this time are following the enemy overhead, 

 lamenting the danger to which their young are exposed. 



Male; length, about seven inches; bill, bluish horn-colour, 

 almost black at the tip:, a black streak passes from its base 

 to the eye, and spreads out behind it. Iris, dark brown, 

 over it is a yellow streak: some bristly feathers cover the 

 nostrils. Forehead, yellow, greenish ash-colour after the 

 autumnal moult; head on the sides, and between the bill and 

 eye, black; on the front of the crown there is a broad 

 transverse black band, which ends on each side with a few 

 long and pointed black feathers, which the bird elevates at 

 pleasure; the back of the head, black, which turns to dusky 

 brown in the winter, and is mixed with the yellow featliers 

 at the edges; crown, greyish brown. Neck on the back, 

 greyish brown tinged with red; nape, greyish brown, the 

 central part of the feathers being darker than the edges; chin, 

 throat, and sides of the neck, fine pale yellow, white in 

 summer. Breast above, the same, with a gorget of black 

 across the upper part of it, which fades to dusky brown in 

 the winter; below, it is dull white, and tinged with a reddish 

 brown on the sides; back, brown, the centre of each feather 

 being darker than the edges; in summer it becomes light 

 brownish red, and has a tinge of purple: after the autumnal 

 moult it is imbued with grey. 



The wings, which extend to within three quarters of an 

 inch of the end of the tail, have the first three quill feathers 



