THE BIRDS OF CORNWALL. 199 



Sky-la,rk ; resident, common and generally distributed ; 

 during- autumn and winter immense flocks at times reach the 

 county presumably from central Europe. 



Wood-lark ; resident, local but probabl}^ much more 

 abundant than generally imagined, as even where numerous it is 

 b^it rarely seen and its song is generally mistaken for that of the 

 Sky-lark ; lately seen about St. Stephens-in-Branwell, Truro, 

 Budock, and Grerrans ; a casual visitor to Scilly ; breeds from 

 South Scandinavia to the Mediterranean. 



Crested Lark ; an accidental visitor from central and 

 southern Europe, represented by three specimens taken near 

 Penzance, two in 1846 and one in 1850, and one at Budock in 

 1865. 



Short-toed Lark ; an accidental visitor, of which a single 

 example was obtained at Scilly, in September, 1854; breeds 

 abundantly in south west Europe and north west Africa. 



Shore-lark ; a casual winter visitor, breeding in the north 

 of Europe and Asia beyond the limits of tree growth, and 

 occurring irregularly on migration throughout the greater part 

 of Eiirope; two specimens shot near Padstow, November, 1879. 



Swift ; a summer migrant, wintering as far south as Natal 

 and the Cape; common, in some districts abundant and increasing, 

 but somewhat local ; a passing spring visitor at Scilly ; arrives 

 about the beginning of May, earliest coimty record April 8th, 

 leaves by the middle of August but stragglers may be seen six 

 or even eight weeks later. 



Alpine Swift ; a rare accidental summer visitor ; one 

 specimen taken off the Lizard, one at Looe, one at Mylor in 

 1859, and a fourth seen off Land's End; nests regularly in 

 Switzerland, Savoy and the mountain ranges of central and 

 southern Europe. 



Nightjar ; a summer migrant, rarely appearing till early in 

 May and often later ; date of departure evidently very variable ; 

 frequent but local throughout the county ; common at Altarnon 

 and nesting as far west as Falmouth and Camborne ; an autumn 

 visitor at Scilly ; partial to bracken and heather in the neighbour- 

 hood of woods and high hedges ; its winter quarters extend far 

 south in Africa. 



