174 ALAUDINJE. ALAUDA. 



beyond that of any bird known. The nest is formed in a hol- 

 low scraped in the ground, among corn, in a hay field, or in 

 an open pasture, and is composed of withered grass, rather 

 loosely put together, and lined with finer fibres. The eggs, 

 four or five, vary much in size and colour, but are generally 

 ten and a half twelfths long, eight and a half twelfths in 

 breadth, greenish-grey, freckled with greyish-brown. Toward 

 the end of autumn Larks congregate, often in very large flocks, 

 and search the stubble fields for seeds of various kinds, on 

 which chiefly they feed during the winter. In February or 

 March these flocks break up. Vast numbers are sent to our 

 markets in winter, this species forming an esteemed article of 

 food. An outcry has been raised against shooting Blackbirds 

 and Thrushes, it being alleged that their musical faculties 

 ought to exempt them from persecution. If so, why should 

 not the Lark be protected, and its devourers held as barba- 



rians 



Common Lark. Field Lark. Laverock. 



Alauda arvensis, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 287. Alauda arvensis, 

 Temm. Man. d'Ornith. i. 281. Alauda arvensis, Sky-Lark, 

 MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, ii. 163. 



104. ALAUDA ARBOREA. WOOD LARK. 



Upper parts light reddish-brown, streaked with brownish- 

 black ; the fore neck reddish-white, streaked with brownish- 

 black, the sides light brown, the rest of the lower parts yel- 

 lowish-white ; a distinct yellowish-white band over the eye, 

 continuous with a patch of the same on the nape ; the first 

 quill minute, the fourth longest. Young with the upper parts 

 yellowish-brown, the feathers with a longitudinal dusky band ; 

 lower parts pale greyish-yellow, sides and fore part of neck 

 with angular dusky spots ; part of the breast tinged with yel- 

 lowish-red. 



Male, 6 T 2 ^, 12, 3 T $, / |$, -&, yV Female, 6, 12. 



The "Wood-Lark, which is considerably smaller than the 

 Sky-Lark, and distinguished from it chiefly by having a whi- 

 tish band surrounding the upper part of the head, and much 

 enlarged on the nape, is not uncommon in the southern, west- 

 ern, and midland districts of England, but of very rare occur- 

 rence in the northern. It does not clearly appear that it has 

 been met with in Scotland ; but it is partially distributed in 

 Ireland. Its habits are similar to those of the last species, 

 which it is said to excel in the melody of its song. It fre- 

 quently perches on trees and bushes, which the other very 



