118 PASSERES. 



90. ALAUDA ARVENSIS. 



(SKY-LARK.) 



Alauda arvensis, Linneus, Sjst. Nat. i. p. 287 (1766). 



The Sky-Lark is too well known to need description. 



Figures : Temminck and Schlegelj Fauna Japonicaj AveSj pi. 47 

 (under the name of Alauda japonica) . 



The Sky-Lark is found on all the Japanese Islands and on the 

 Kurile Islands. To the latter and possibly to Yezzo it is only a 

 summer visitor, but in Southern Japan it breeds on the mountains 

 and winters in the plains. I have four examples procured on the 

 Kurile Islands by Mr. Snow, They are large birds (wing from carpal 

 joint 4-7 to 4-25 inches), and, in newly moulted autumn plumage, 

 they have very white bellies and bright sandy-buff margins to the 

 feathers of the upper parts. They belong to a large north-eastern 

 race of the Sky-Lark, which breeds in Kamtschatka and the Kurile 

 Islands, and winters in Japan and North China. If it be regarded 

 as subspecifically distinct it must bear the name of Alauda arvensis 

 peJcinensis (Swinhoe, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1863, p. 89). I have seven 

 examples procured in Yezzo by Captain Blakiston during March, 

 April, May, June, and September ; they are rather smaller birds 

 (wing 4'1 to 3"7 inches), but they do not differ from the Kurile 

 examples in colour. There are eight examples in the Pryer collection 

 from Yokohama, which are on an average shghtly smaller still (wing 

 4-0 to 3-55 inches), but no difference of colour is discoverable. 

 Examples from every locality get very dark in summer from the 

 abrasion of the buff margins of the feathers, and lose the brilliance 

 of the white on the belly from stains. If this small race be re- 

 garded as subspecifically distinct it must bear the name of Alauda 

 arvensis japonica. This race appears to be a resident in Japan, 

 North China, and Thibet. 



These three races have their exact parallels in Europe. The 

 typical Alauda arvensis is a large north-western race, breeding in 

 Scandinavia and wintering in England and Central Europe. The 

 intermediate forms, which are resident in the British Isles, represent 

 the intermediate forms found in Yezzo ; whilst a small resident race 

 inhabits Southern Europe, Alauda arvensis cantarella (Bonap. Comp. 

 List B. Eur. & N. Atner. p. 37). The western races are buffer on 

 the underparts and greyer on the upper parts than the eastern races ; 



