HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



335 



SHORE LARK. 



Among the different species of Larks found in Cali- 

 fornia, the most beautiful is the Shore Lark, {Alauda 

 Alpestris.) 



This beautiful species, says Nuttall, is common to 

 the north of both the old and new continent, but, as 

 in some other instances already remarked, the Shore 

 Lark extends its migrations much farther over America 

 than over Europe and Asia. Our bird was met with 

 in the Arctic regions by the late adventurous voyagers, 

 and Mr. Bullock saw them in the winter around the 

 city of Mexico, so that in their migrations over this 

 continent they spread themsi'lves across tlie whole 

 habitable northern hemisphere to .the very equator ; 

 while in Europe, according to the careful observations 

 of Temminck, they are unknown to the south of Ger- 

 many. Pallas rnet with these birds round Lake Baikal 

 and on the Wolga, in the 5od degree of latitude. 

 Westward they have also been seen in the interior of 

 the United States, along the shores of the Missouri. 



Inseparable in all their movements, like the hen 



