394 



8 



loose structure of fine grass bents ; and the eggs, four in number, are yellowish grey, covered with 

 minute wood-brown spots, and a few underlying, scarcely perceptible, grey shell-markings. In all 

 the spots are collected much more thickly in a ring round the larger end ; and each one has one 

 or two small blackish brown scratches. In size they average f^ by f^ inch. 



The Shore-Lark is a good songster; and its note, which I myself have never heard, only 

 having seen it in the winter or spring, is said to resemble that of the Sky-Lark. My friend 

 Mr. Collett says (I. c.) that " as late as, the end of June the males were in full song, and sang 

 indefatigably. They would ascend into the air, singing as they rose, gyrating for a time at 

 a considerable height, mounting and descending with a peculiar wavy motion whilst uttering 

 their modest, somewhat disjointed song. Sometimes, after having descended and when perched 

 on a stone or on the ground, they would warble a more coherent strain, not unlike the song of 

 the Sky-Lark, and which is never heard whilst the bird is on the wing." Mr. Collett says the 

 stomachs of specimens of adult . and young birds he obtained in the summer season contained 

 coleoptera (chiefly Ortiorhynchus blandus), fine gravel, and traces of vegetable substances. 



The specimens figured are : — an adult male, from the North Cape, in the foreground, a very 

 young bird on the left, and a male in winter, from Norfolk, in the background, these being the 

 specimens described. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 



a > 6 , b, c, §, d, $ . Salthouse, Norfolk, November 1870 (F. Norgate). e, d ■ Lapland, July 1st, 1854 (Dahl- 

 berg). f, d , g,juv. North Cape, June 25th, 1872 {Collett). h,<3,i,<3. Zaostrovka, near Archangel, 

 March 27th, 1873 (Piottuch). k, <$ . Volga, Russia, March 7th. l,juv. North America, May 5th, 1871 

 (Dr. Brewer), m, $. North America (Krider). n, $ . Bay of Fundy, February 5th, 1862 (H. E. D.). 

 o, J. Musquash, New Brunswick, April 6th, 1862 (H. E. D.). p, 8 ■ San Antonio, Texas, October 28th, 

 1863 (H. E. D.). g,r,8,$. San Antonio, December 1863 (H. E. D.). s, <S . San Antonio, February 

 20th, 1864 (H. E. D.). t. Near city of Mexico (G. H. White), u. Victoria, Vancouver's Island, 1868 

 (J. Hepburn). 



E Mus. Salvin and Godman. 



a, 2- Lapland, 1857 (F. Godman). b, $. Washington, D. C, December 1859 [Elliott Coues). c, <S . Wash- 

 ington, February (Professor Baird). d, 3 . Bexar, county Texas, February 20th, 1864 (H. E. D.). e,f. 

 Mexico (G. H. White). 



E Mus. H. B. Tristram. 



a>, b, 6, c, J. Norfolk, November 1870 (F. Norgate). d, J. Sweden, May 16th, 1851. e. Pekiu, December 

 12th, 1863 (R. Swinhoe). f,g. North America. 



E Mus. Howard Saunders. 

 «, 2 • Volga, March (Moschler). b, 8 . Galicia, March 15th. c. Salthouse, Norfolk (F. Norgate). 



E Mus. B. Swinhoe. 

 a. Lake Baikal (Dybowski) . 



