THE FIELDLARK. 323 



131. THE FIELDLAEK. 

 Alauda campestris, LIN. La Spipolette, BUF. Der Brachpieper, BECH. 



Description. This bird is six inches and a half in length, 

 smaller and more slender than the Skylark. It resembles the 

 Crested Lark in colour, and the Titlark in form. The beak is 

 thick and long ; the upper part of the body dark grey, with 

 blackish spots. There is a white stripe over the eyes, and the 

 breast, which is yellowish white, is streaked with blackish 

 grey lines. The tail is dark brown, having the two outermost 

 feathers white on the outside. The feet are a pale flesh- 

 colour ; the nail of the hind claw is strong and curved. 



The Fieldlark may be met with in summer in woody 

 marshes ; in autumn, on the edges of fields, meadows, and 

 high roads ; and may be caught with the night net. It does 

 not sing, but cries constantly, while making its revolutions in 

 the air, Tsirru ! and Datsida ! It is a bird of passage, depart- 

 ing in September, and returning in April. It must be fed and 

 treated like the Titlark ; but is a more delicate bird. 



ADDITIONAL. BECHSTEIN, it will be seen, has placed this bird 

 with the Pipits, but it does not appear at all clearly what British 

 species corresponds with the slight description here given. MAC- 

 GILLIVEAY includes in his Anthus, or Pipit Genus, five species, 

 two of which appear to be identical with these just described ; 

 the other three, which he calls Anthus Obscurus, the Dusky 

 or Shore Pipit ; A. Spinoletta, the Redbreasted Pipit ; and 

 A. Recardi, Richard's Pipit, scarcely agree, in their distinctive 

 characteristics, with either of the species given by the German 

 naturalist, who claims for his Water Pipit, presently described, 

 the LiNN2EAN title Alauda Spinoletta. in point of size it best 

 corresponds with the Anthus Aquaticus, variously called the 

 Rock or Shore Pipit, Rock, Sea, or Dusky Lark, which MUDIE 

 describes as inhabiting the sea- shores, and finding the principal 

 part of its food at, and within, the high water mark. " In man- 

 ner its song in spring, and its chirp at all times, bear a very close 

 resemblance to those of the Meadow Pipit. It runs with great 

 ease along the sand, picking up its food ; and when alarmed, it 

 hops onward with a bouncing flight. The nest is formed of bents, 

 or "other plants, growing near the sea, and lined with finer fibres, 

 or with hair. The eggs are not more than five, yellowish grey, 

 witn reddish brown spots, especially at the thick ends. There 

 are two broods or more in the course of the year- ' 



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