210 BIRDS OF THE WORLD 



Larks 



There is a general notion among those who are not 

 experts in the matter of the classification of birds, that 

 the Larks are related to the Pipits and Wagtails, but 

 whether this belief is well founded or not remains to 

 be proved. As has been said, in certain characters 

 they bear a superficial resemblance. The relationship 

 between the Larks and the Finches, to be considered 

 later, seems to be evident. 



The Larks are chiefly natives of the Old World, 

 though North America has representatives of the 

 group in the Horned Larks. The family is distin- 

 guished from all the other Perching birds by the fact 

 that the back of the leg is covered by small scutes, or 

 scales. The long hind claw and the length of the inner 

 quill-feathers of the wing in Larks has already been 

 mentioned. Their bills are short and conical. 



The best known of this family is the Skylark, so 

 famous for its song, which is heard during nearly eight 

 months of the year, and ranks next to that of the 

 Nightingale in popular favour. It is one of the few 

 birds that sing while on the wing, and the strong 

 natural impulse to rise in the air when singing makes 

 the efforts of a caged Skylark a most pitiful sight. 

 Sometimes it will sing from the ground, but usually 

 the Skylark ascends in a spiral course to a consider- 

 able height. The general colour of this bird is brown 

 of varying shades, with slight touches of white or 

 yellow. The breast is greyish-brown. See Plate 14, 

 Fig. 74. 



During migration these birds suffer appalling losses 



