154 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



there is a light streak over the eye ; the ear- coverts 

 and cheeks are brown and light yellowish brown 

 mixed; feathers of the back and tail-coverts dark 

 brown in the centre, margined with lighter brown ; 

 wing-coverts dull brown, the greater slightly mar- 

 gined with lighter brown ; quills dusky brown, the 

 tertials more or less margined with a lighter shade ; 

 the tail-feathers the same, except the two outside 

 ones on each side, the outer of which is white, with 

 a long streak of brown on the inner web, and the 

 next has a longitudinal streak of white on the outer 

 web; the neck and throat a dull whitish brown, 

 slightly speckled with dark brown; the breast the 

 same, tinged with yellowish brown, especially on the 

 sides, and spotted with dark brown ; belly and under 

 tail-coverts nearly white ; legs, toes and claws brown, 

 the hind claw very long. The female is rather darker 

 in colour than the male. Varieties of the Sky Lark 

 are not uncommon : they are generally lighter than 

 the ordinary plumage, inclining to buff or occa- 

 sionally white. 



The eggs vary in size Meyer says from ten lines 

 to an inch in length : the commonest colour appears 

 to be a dirty white ground, much smeared and 

 spotted with olive-brown, or more distinctly speckled 

 with reddish brown : these latter specimens, in my 

 collection, are the smallest. 



WOOD LARK, Alauda arborea. The Wood Lark is 

 by no means so common in this county as the Sky 



