102 BRITISH BIRDS' EGGS. 



distributed over Europe, several parts of Asia, and the north 

 of Africa, ana is n-'ellknowiir throughout the British Islands. 

 It builds and breeds in April, May, and June. Its nest is 

 placed upon the ground, amidst corn or other herbage, and 

 is composed of vegetable stalks, dried grasses, roots, and 

 fibres, the finer materials being used as lining; the eggs, 

 from three to five in number, are yellowish or greenish 

 brown closely freckled throughout, and often with a darker 

 zone of the same colour at the thicker end. (PL X. fig. 73.) 



THE CRESTED LARK. Alauda cristata. The only infor- 

 mation we can give upon the nidification of this species we 

 take from the volumes of the Eev. F. 0. Morris upon the 

 nests and eggs of British birds. " The nest/' this writer 

 informs us, " placed on the ground, is made of grasses. The 

 eggs are four or five in number, of a light- grey colour 

 spotted with light and dark brown/' They are however, 

 from the subsequent descriptions of the same author, sub- 

 ject evidently to great variety. 



THE WOODLARK. Alauda arbor ea. This is a species 

 sought for its powers of song. The song is usually uttered 

 while on the wing, but occasionally from the branch of a 

 tree. The nest is placed upon the ground, and composed 

 of dried stalks and grass, lined with fibres and hair. The 



