when at length disturbed it only flies to a short distance 
with a low twittermg note. The regular song of this 
bird is by no means unpleasing, though not powerful; 
it is uttered from the ground as well as when the bird 
is on wing. 
In the pairing-season the Short-toed Lark soars to a 
considerable height, singing as it mounts, after the 
manner of our well-known Sky-Lark. The nests of 
this species that have come under my observation were 
all situated in depressions on very bare sandy soil, often 
in a hoof-print, once or twice under a clot of the dried 
dung of horses or cattle; the materials of the nest are 
scanty—a few dry bents or coarse grass-stems, with a 
lining of hair, and an occasional feather or two, generally 
those of the Pintailed Sand-Grouse (P/erocles alchata), 
seeming to satisfy the requirements of this little dweller 
in the waste. 
The eggs, generally four in number, are white, 
thickly spotted with light ashy brown. 
