LARK. 311 



52— SHORE LARK. 



Alauda alpestris, Ind. Orn. ii. 498. Lin. i. 298. Gm. Lin. i. 800. Borowsk. iii. 201. 



Tern. Man. d'Orn. 160. Id. Ed. ii. 279. 

 Alauda campestris guttuve flavo, Bartram, Tr. 288. 

 Virginiana, Bris. iii. 367. Id. Svo. i. 412. Klein, 72. Id. Stem. 13. t. 15. 



f. 5. c. d. 

 Berglerche, Bechst. Deutsch. iii. p. 801. 

 Haussecol noir, Bnf. v. 55. 

 Die Alpen-lerche, Gmel. reise, i. p. 52. t. 12. 

 Shore Lark, Gen. Syn. iv. 385. Arct. Zool. ii. No. 279. Cat. Car. i. pi. 32. Phil. 



Trans, lxii. 398. ^mer. Orn. i. pi. 5. f. 4. Shaw's Zool. x. 530. 



SIZE and shape of the Skylark ; length six inches and a half. 

 Bill black; forehead yellow; the plumage above reddish brown, 

 streaked with dusky, darkest on the head ; from the base of the bill 

 arises a patch of yellow, forming a bed on each side, in which the 

 eyes are placed, also a black streak passing under the eye,* and a 

 little way down on the neck ; the throat and fore part of the neck 

 are yellow ; on the lower part of the neck a broad black band ; 

 beneath this all the under parts are very pale yellow ; tail coverts 

 pale ferruginous, and two of them nearly as long as the tail ; quills 

 and tail dusky, and in both the outermost feather only has a white 

 exterior margin ; legs and claws black. 



In the female the back is grey, and the stripes darker ; the crown 

 is dusky ; in other things both sexes are alike. 



Inhabits North America, where it is migratory ; visits the neigh- 

 bourhood of Albany the beginning of May, but goes farther north 

 to breed : in winter comes in vast flocks into Virginia and Carolina, 

 returning north in spring ; feeds, whilst in the more southern parts, 

 on oats, and other grain ; and during its stay at Albany, on the 

 grass, and buds of the sprig birch : runs into small holes, and 

 keeps close to the ground, from whence the natives give it the name 



* In the Amer. Orn. are mentioned certain long black feathers above the eyebrow, which 

 the bird can erect like horns, but after death not perceivable. 



