104 THE BIRDS OF DETOX. 



onlj- thing to be said in favour of the authenticity of the specimen is its 

 possessor's ignorance of the bird," 



Both these instances being " dealer's birds," we have thought it best to 

 include this species between brackets. {Cf. Xewton, ' Yarrell's B. Birds,' 

 4th ed. i. p. G4G.)] 



Shore-Lark, Otocorys aljjestris (Linn.). 



A casual visitor of very rare occurrence. 



Although a regular autumnal migrant in small numbers to the south-east 

 of England, this pretty little visitor from the north-east very rarely extends 

 its flight to the "Western Counties, and there are very few records of its 

 appearance in Devoushire. We do not know of a single instance of its 

 occurrence in Cornwall, while in Somerset it has only been obtained once. 

 The Bev. Marcus Bickards wrote to tell us that one had been caught alive 

 in a net, together with some Sky-Larks, at Wraxall, near Bristol, about 

 the year 187-4. This Lark in its summer home has a delightful song, and 

 in Lapland is called the "Bell-bird," from its clear and musical call-note. 

 Those caught alive by bird-catchers in England are in great esteem as 

 cage-birds, and we have often seen them in aviaries. 



An adult specimen in the collection of the late Mr. Cecil Smith is said 

 to have been shot at Paignton. This bird was given us by Mr. E. Burt, 

 of Torquay, and we subseijuently presented it to Mr. Smith. Mr. Burt, 

 however, was doubtful about it. Mr. Hutchinson, of Bideford, saw a 

 flock of Shore-Larks on jS'ortham Burrows, January 2nd, l&7o, and shot 

 one ('Field,' as quoted in Zool. 1875, p. V.j6~). 



Two specimens said to have been obtained on Dawlish Warren are in 

 the A. M, M. and the collection of the late Mr. Byne respectively. They 

 both came from James Truscott, the Exeter bird-stuffer, and were most 

 probably mounted from American skins. We have reason to believe that 

 the reported finding of a nest and eggs of this species at Exmouth (Zool. 

 1852, p. 3707) was a mistake. 



