family XIV. 
PASSERINI^ Illigek. 
GENUS XXX.—^LAUDA, LiNMtis. 
153. ALAVDA ALPESTKIS, LISNJEUS AND WILSON. 
SHOXIE LARK. 
■VVIL80N PLATE V. PIG. IV. — EDINBERGII CC«.LEGE MUSEUM. 
a^Bls is the most beautiful of its genus, at least in 
part of the world. It is one of our winter birds of 
”Ssjijrg arrivin'^ from the north in the tall ; usually 
h’ing with us the whole winter, freijueutmg sandy 
|;7‘ns and open downs, and is numerous in the sourtiern 
>es, as tar as Georgia, during that season, they 
1 y loose scattered flocks ; and at these 
*1 single cry, almost exactly like the sky lark ot 
v^'dain. They are very numerous in many tracts ot 
Cl*!"' Jersey; and are frequently brought to Philadel- 
market. They arc then generally very fat, and. 
vjl? considered excellent e.atiug. Their food seems 
f '"cipally to consist of small round compressed black 
buckwheat, oats, &c. with a large proportion of 
^“'■el. On the flat commons, within the boundaries 
tile city of Philadelphia, flocks of them are regularly 
1 7" during the whole winter. In the stomach of these, 
•'live found, in numerous instances, quantities of the 
or larvm of certain insects, mixed with a kind ot 
wi'dy earth. About the middle of March they gene- 
L fy disappear, on their route to the north. Forster 
^‘"rms us, that they visit the environs of Albany tort, 
a Ide beginnino- of May ; but go farther north to breed ; 
JOat “ .. ' jO , , ^ 
'hch 
' ueginmng or may j S" - - 
they feed on grass seeds, and buds ot the spri 
“ .... . ■ - close to the 
hv and run into small holes, keeping 
^*’'md ; from whence the natives call them cht-chup- 
