530 



SHORE LARK. 

 (Alauda alpestris.) 



Al. rectricibus dimidio interior e albis, gula Jiava, fascia siibocU" 



lari pectoralique nigra. 

 Lark with the inner half of the tail-feathers white, the throat 



yelbw, and a band beneath the eyes and on the breast black, 

 Alauda alpestris. Lin. Syst. Nat, 1. 289. 10. — GmeL Syst. Naf. 



1. 800. — Lath, hid. Orn. 2. 498. 21. 

 Alauda virginiana. Briss. Orn, 3. 367. 12. 

 Le Haussecol noir. Buff, Hist, Nat, Ois. 5. 55. 

 Shore Lark. Pen. Arct. Zool. 2. 278. — Catesb, Carol, l.pl, 32. 



— Phil. Trans, LXii. 398. — Lath, Gen. Syn. 4, 385. I9. 



A VERY abundant species in North America, 

 visiting the country about Albany in the early 

 part of May, and retiring to the northern parts to 

 breed: in the winter it makes its appearance in 

 Virginia and Carolina : it is called Snow-bird, or 

 Ortolan ; the former from its being abundant in 

 the winter, and the latter from its delicious flavour: 

 during the winter many are captured by horse- 

 hair springes, which are placed in the snow: it 

 feeds on grain, grass, and the buds of the birch : 

 it is quite destitute of a song. 



The length of this species is six inches and a 

 half : its beak and legs are black : the upper parts 

 of its body are reddish brown, striped with dusky : 

 the forehead and space round the eyes are of a 

 clear yellow : from the beak, passing beneath the 

 eye and on the sides of the neck, is a stripe of 



