LARK. 285 



mandible is emarginate, or notched, as in the Thrush ; the head, hind 

 part of the neck, and back are rusty brown, confusedly spotted with 

 black ; the wing coverts darker brown, edged with rust; quills and 

 secondaries dark brown, slightly edged with rust, and whitish at the 

 tips; beneath, from chin to vent, plain, pale, tawny brown; in old 

 birds, and sometimes in full grown young, marked with a few dusky 

 spots on the breast; the tail is two inches and three quarters long, 

 and black, but the outer feather is white, three-fourths obliquely 

 from the base ; the second half white, half black, obliquely divided ; 

 the third, fourth, and fifth plain black ; the middle ones edged with 

 rusty brown ; legs small, slender, yellowish brown ; the side toes 

 reach no farther than the second joint of the middle one ; the back 

 toe long, and the claw more curved than in the Skylark. 



This bird inhabits Spain, Italy, and some other parts of the 

 Continent ; according to Mr. White, from whom the above description 

 is taken, it comes to Gibraltar regularly in the spring, and leaves it 

 in winter; and from its length of tail, which is white on each side, 

 and its slender shaped body, besides having much of the air of a 

 Wagtail, it has obtained the name of Wagtail Lark. It is said to be 

 commonly sold at Venice, among others, for the table, as well as in 

 some parts of Spain : Scopoli observes, that this species builds in the 

 moist places of Carniola, and that some remain the whole of the 

 winter* in mild seasons. 



18.— SPARROW LARK. 



LENGTH from five inches and a half to six inches. Bill three 

 quarters of an inch, conic, light brown ; head spotted ; a whitish 

 line above the eye ; back and upper parts coloured much like the 

 Crested Lark ; throat and belly white ; breast dappled with brovrn 



* Said to be common at Woronesch, and about the River Don, in winter. — Dec. rass. 



