202 



SIBERIAJ^ LARK. 



following remarks: — "Tliougli this bird is so rare in 

 Europe, M. le Baron Selys-Longcliamps possesses one, 

 wliicb. was taken in the environs of Liege, in December, 

 1855. Having bad it preserved, he kindly brought it 

 to me to add to the supplementary list, before the family 

 of Larks was concluded. The habits and propagation 

 of this bird are very little known; its voice is not so 

 agreeable as that of the Skylark, though its movements 

 are equally elegant. It nests like it on the ground, in 

 a slight excavation. It is not very timid, and allows 

 I)eople to approach it rather closely without fear," 



A male specimen, sent me by Mr. Tristram from the 

 Volga, without date, but from the freshness and bright- 

 ness of the plumage, evidently in its nuptial robes, has 

 the upper parts rich brown, bordered with russet, lighter 

 on the nape ; the top of the head, lesser wing coverts, and 

 upper tail coverts, a brilliant red russet, Avhich gives 

 the bird a marked and distinctive character. The in- 

 ferior parts are of a bluish white, with here and there a 

 russet feather; the throat, crojD, and sides of the neck 

 spotted with brown and russet, the latter colour per- 

 vading the ear coverts. Under wing coverts and second- 

 aries pure white, and the primaries blackish brown 

 below; above, the primaries and secondaries are dark 

 brown, the latter at first white on the inner web, be- 

 coming nearly entirely so in the middle. Tail feathers 

 brown, with more or less white on their inner webs; 

 the laterals quite of that colour. Beak livid, the upper 

 mandible darkest; tarsi russet; feet dark brown. 



My illustrations of the bird and its egg are from 

 specimens sent me by Mr. Tristram; the former is a 

 male. They were obtained from the keeper of the Im- 

 perial Museum of St. Petersburg, and are stated to be 

 from Dr. MiddendorfF. 



It has been also figured by Pallas, as Alauda leucop- 



