THE WOODLARK. 



Alavda arborea, Ray. 



This bird has a considerable resemblance to the 

 Skylark in its appearance, and some of its habits ; 

 but it is not above two-thirds of its weight, the 

 tail is much shorter, the body more slender, and the 

 crest larger and more capable of being erected. 

 The principal differences in the markings are, 

 that the feet are yellow, — the male has a general 

 yellowish tinge underneath, and a whitish band on 

 the head ; and the exterior feathers of the tail, 

 instead of being edged with white, as in the Sky- 

 lark, are black.* The neck and breast are yellow- 

 ish white, tinged with brown, and marked with 

 narrow dusky spots. 



The female, more beautiful, (says Bechstein,) is of 

 a paler ground, with darker ornaments ; her breast 

 more spotted ; the crest on her head more pro- 

 minent, and the line round the cheeks more dis- 

 tinct. 



The Woodlark is by no means so plentiful as 

 the Skylark, but it is met with in most parts of 

 the kingdom. It usually lives and breeds on the 

 ground, like the latter species. Its hind claw is 

 as long as that of the Skylark, and straighter ; yet 

 it often perches on trees, and sometimes sings 



* British Naturalist. 



