102 THE BIRDS OF DEVON. 



winter we used to see little parties of Wood-Larks consisting of the old 

 birds and the young of the year in most of the ficdds, and our impression 

 was that unless the weather was very severe the AVood-Larks did not stray 

 many fields away from the site of their nest. In the high ground around 

 Hathcrleigh we used to find Wood-Larks very numerous in the autumn, 

 while Sky-Larks were comparatively scarce. 



We one day discovered a nest of a Wood-Lark in an open ferny field, 

 and did not take it. The next time we passed the spot we found that 

 the birds had erected a dome of ferns very skilfully above the nest for 

 extra concealment. 



Crested Lark. Aland a cristata, Linn. 



An accidental visitor of rare occurrence. 



Lord Lilford has informed us that in the month of July 1852 he re- 

 ])eatedly saw a pair of Crested Larks close to the Sands Hotel at Slapton 

 Ley. lie then took them for Wood-Larks, but adds that directly he 

 became acquainted with the Crested Lark in Spain he recognized the note 

 and several habits of the bird whose acquaintance he had made in South 

 Devon. The pair seen at Slapton frequented the road which runs along 

 the shingle-beach between the Ley and the sea. 



A specimen of the Crested Lark, shot on the Brauuton Burrows about 

 the year 1S51, was in the collection of Mr. Clevland, of Tapley Park, near 

 Bideford. A granite ])illar, standing in Tapley Park above the Torridge, 

 commemorates this young officer, who fell in the cavalry charge at Bala- 

 clava. 



Like the Wood-Lark, the Crested Lark is somewhat of a stay-at-home. 

 It is abundant on the northern coast of France, but seldom takes the 

 trouble to cross the Channel to our shores. In flight it resembles the 

 Wood-Lark, but differs both from that bird and the Sky-Lark in its 

 partiality for the haunts of man, being commonly found in village-streets, 

 ])erched upon the houses and sheds, thus seeming to share the vulgar 

 hal)its of the House-Sparrow. Its nest and eggs are said closely to 

 resemble those of the Sky-Lark. The crest is characteristic of both 

 sexes, being slightly smaller in the female bird. 



Four specimens of the Crested Lark have occurred on the south-western 

 coast of Cornwall, but it docs not seem to have been met with either in 

 Dorset or Somerset. 



[Short-toed Lark. Calandrella hr achy dactyl a (Leisler). 



Some individuals of this species were reported to have been caught alive 

 in Devonshire in Xovember 1SS9 (' Field ' for November 9th, 18S9, p. 0G7 ; 

 Zool. 188!), p. o^). The Eev. H. A. Macpherson has, however, ascertained 

 that these birds had been imported from Italy and bought by a dealer at 



