Alauda. 
BIRDS. PASSEIIES. 
79 
Gen. XL. ALAUDA. Lark. — Bill conico-subulate. Pa- 
late plain. Hind claw produced. 
86. A. arvensis. Field-Lark. — Plumage reddish-brown 
above, yellowish-white, with dusky streaks beneath. Hind-claw 
nearly straight, and longer than the toe. 
A. vulgaris, Will. Orn.149. Sihb. Scot. 17. — K. SlX. Ltnn. Syst. i. 287. 
Penn. Brit. Zool. i. 353. Temm. Orn. i. 281 — A, Skye-Lark; La- 
verock ; IF, Hedydd, Uchedydd ; G, Uiseag — A common resident. 
Length 7, breadth 12 inches ; weight an ounce and a half. Bill dusky, the 
base of the lower mandible yellowish. Legs and claws dusky. Hindhead 
tinged with cinereous. Quills brown, with pale tips and edges. Tail brown ; 
the two middle feathers darkest ; the outer feather white on the outer web 
and tip of the inner ; the second Avhite on the outer web only. The female 
resembles the male. Pair in April. Nest on the ground, of dry stalks, lined 
Avith fine roots of grass. Eggs 4, dirty Avhite, spotted Avith brown The lark 
abounds in open cultivated situations. Is esteemed for its song, and as a deli- 
cacy for the table. Congregates in Avandering flocks during the winter. 
87. A. rubra. Red Lark.— Plumage above rufous-brown, 
beneath reddish-white. Flind-claw curved, and of the length 
of the toe. 
Penn. Brit. Zool. i. 359. Turtoii’s Gm. Syst. i. 482 — -In England, rare. 
Size same as the preceding. Bill dusky above, whitish beneath ; legs pale 
brown. A white line above and below the eye. Chin and throat Avhite. Back 
with black, and breast Avith dusky spots. Middle feather of the tail black, edged 
with broAvn, the two exterior Avhite — This species was first detected, near 
London, by EdAvards. One from the same quarter is described by Montagu, 
in his “ Ornithological Dictionary,” and another sent him by Mr Foljambe, 
taken in the winter of 1812, near AVooBvich, Avhich measured full 74 inches in 
length. He says, in the Supplement, “The size, the bill, legs, and the hind- 
claAv, bespeak the species ; especially the great length of the tail in propor- 
tion to the wings, which, when closed, do not reach within two inches of the 
end.” 
88. A. arbor ea. Wood-Lark.— A white band from the bill 
over the eyes, surrounding the crown of the head. 
Will. Orn. 149. Sibh. Scot. 17* Linn. Syst. i. 287. Penn. Brit. Zool. i. 
356. Temm. Orn. i. 283 — IF, Hedydd-y-coed ; G, lliabhag-choille. 
In the neighbourhood of woods. 
Length 64, breadth 124 inches ; weight about an ounce. Bill dusky, whit- 
ish at the base of the lower mandible. Irides hazel. Legs yelloAv. Plumage 
above, brownish-black, with pale edges ; cheeks yellowish-white j beneath 
pale yellowish-white, with dusky longitudinal streaks. Quills dusky, edged 
with brown ; the coverts tipped with white. The two middle tail-feathers 
brown, the next dusky, and the four exterior ones black. The female wants 
the tinge of yellow beneath, and the white band of the head is obscure. Pair 
in March. Nest on the ground, of coarse grass, lined with finer fibres, with 
sometimes a few long hairs. Eggs 4, wood-brown, with blotches of grey and 
brown. — This species lives in families during the winter. Chiefly sings in the 
air, flying in large irregular circles, or when perched on the top of a tree. 
Sings sometimes late in the evening, and has been mistaken for the nightin- 
