on the Birds of South-eastern China. \77 



of situations ; often in a fir-tree, sometimes quite low down, 

 or in a bamboo, or, again, high up in a banyan or borabax 

 tree at an elevation perhaps of forty to sixty feet. In a large 

 tree the nest is frequently placed at the extremity of a 

 small bough, and in such a situation is very difficult of 

 access. Empty nests are used for sleeping in in the cold 

 weatiier, and the birds were seen building a nest in January, 

 which was used as a sleeping-place. 



In the winter time these birds go about in flocks, feeding 

 on the paddy-fields with the Sparrows, Doves, and Buntings. 



Five or six white eggs are laid, from early in April until 

 September, and sometimes even later. Seven is not very 

 infrequently the clutch early in the season. 



Eggs vary in length from '69 to "58 and in breadth from 

 •46 to '40, and average '63 x '43. 



Alauda arvensis. 



The Skylark is met with occasionally in the winter 

 months, and it has occurred at Samshui, at Macao, and in 

 the Kowloon Peninsula. 



Alauda cct;livox. 



This little Lark is fairly common in Kwang Tung and 

 Kvvang Si, more so up the river than on the coast, and it 

 is a very popular song-bird with the Chinese. It has been 

 observed to sing very finely, sometimes on the ground 

 or upon the slight elevation provided by a Chinese grave, 

 and also on the wing, when having ended its song it will 

 drop twenty feet, hover a moment, and then drop again 

 straight to the ground. 



The nest is much like a Skylark^s, but perhaps a trifle 

 more flimsy, and the eggs are laid, as a rule, in April ; while, 

 as the bird is double-brooded, a second clutch is deposited 

 in June or July. Fully fledged young have been seen as 

 early as May 16. The usual clutch is four, but five eggs 

 were once obtained. 



At Kwei Hsien, in Kwang Si, these birds were very 



