9o BRITISH BIRDS 



129. Otoeorys alpestris (Linn.). SHORE-LARK. 



Hab. Northern Palsearctic region (within the Arctic 

 circle) ; also Greenland and Eastern Boreal America. In 

 winter migrating southward. 



Male : forehead, sides of head, and upper throat 

 yellowish-white, enclosing a black patch on lores and ear- 

 coverts ; fore -part of crown and the " horns " blackish ; 

 rest of upper parts light-brown, with a slight red tinge ; 

 greater coverts tipped with white ; two outer tail-feathers 

 margined with dull white ; upper breast with a deep 

 crescent of black ; lower breast slightly streaked ; re- 

 maining under parts whitish, with some streaks on sides ; 

 bill dusky ; tarsi black. Length 675. Female : slightly 

 smaller, duller, and horns are absent. 



An almost annual visitor in spring or autumn, some- 

 times in flocks, to east side of Britain and also to the 

 south coast ; as yet unknown in Ireland. 



ORDER PXCARXJB. 



Family Cypselidae. 



GENUS LXI. CYPSELUS, Illiger (1811). 

 Bill very short, base wide, depressed, tip compressed ; 

 upper mandible noticeably decurved, lower slightly so ; 

 gape veiy wide. Wings very long, narrow, pointed ; tail 

 moderate, forked. Tarsi short, feathered to toes, latter 

 four in number, directed forward, but capable of grasping 

 in opposition ; claws strong, much curved. 



130. Cypselus apus (Linn.). SWIFT. 

 Hab. Palaearctic region, north to lat. 70 in Norway. 

 In winter southward to Africa and India. 



Adult : chin greyish-white ; rest of plumage sooty- 



