THE CRESTED LAHK. 313 



On the head stand from eight to ten long, pointed, blackish 

 feathers, which when erected, form a handsome crest. The 

 shoulders and middle of the back are light grey, spotted with 

 dark brown ; the rump feathers a pale rusty yellow ; the chin 

 reddish white. The sides are light grey, with a few dark 

 brown longitudinal stripes ; the under part of the body is a 

 dirty reddish white ; the neck and top of the breast being 

 covered with three-cornered black spots. The wing coverts, 

 and the hindmost pen feathers, are dark brown, edged with 

 light grey ; the other pen feathers dark brown, bordered with 

 rusty red. The under wing coverts and pen feathers are a 

 beautiful red rust colour, which in old birds changes into 

 purple. The tail feathers are black; the two centre ones 

 somewhat lighter in colour, and bordered with reddish grey ; 

 the two outermost, tipped and edged on the outer plume with 

 rusty yellow. 



In the female the crest is not so high, and the black spots 

 on the breast are rounder and more numerous. 



Habitat. The Crested Lark is seen in Central Germany 

 only in the autumn and winter, and then in towns and vil- 

 lages, along the high roads, near dunghills, stables and barns 

 in company with Sparrows and Yellowhammers. It is pro- 

 perly a native of North Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, 

 France, and Italy. In summer, it frequents the thickets and 

 bushes of the cultivated land, the paths of woods, and near 

 villages which lie high and retired. It is a bird of passage, 

 migrating in October. 



In confinement it may either be allowed to range about, or 

 be placed in a cage similar to that prescribed for the Skylark. 

 I know no bird in which the feathers grow so fast, as the 

 operation of clipping the wings has to be repeated every three 

 or four weeks. 



Food. In a wild state the Crested Lark lives on insects, 

 small seeds of various kinds, and oats. In captivity it may bo 

 fed like the Skylark, but is less delicate, and has "been known 

 to live twelve years. 



Breeding. It builds its nest on the ground, under dry 

 bushes, or clods, or in gardens, under the vegetables, and even 

 on clay walls, and thatched roofs. It lays lour or five eggs, 

 which are whitish grey, clouded with rust colour, and dark 

 brown on the upper edge. Before the first moulting, the plu- 



