8 4 
allen’s naturalist’s library. 
cage-birds in China as they are in this country, on account of 
their beautiful song. They are to be recognised from the other 
Larks of Great Britain by their tiny first primary quill (which 
looks like a little wing-covert), combined with a long and straight 
hind claw. The Sky-Larks are entirely birds of the Old World, 
and are found throughout Europe and Asia to China and the 
Indian Peninsula, but they do not extend to the Malayan 
Peninsula or the islands. One species is confined to Abyssinia. 
the sky-lark, alauda arvf.nsis. 
{Plate XII.) Fig. I.) 
Alauda arvensis , Linn., S. N., i., p. 287 (1766) ; Macg., Br. B., 
ii., p. 163 (1839); Dresser, B. Eur., iv., p. 307, pi. 231’ 
(1871); Newt. ed. Yarn, i., p. C14 (1874); B. O. U. 
List Br. B., p. 71 (1S83); Seeb. Br. B., ii., p. 266 (1884); 
Saunders, Man., p. 239 (1889); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. 
Mus., xni, p. 567 (1890) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B., pt 
xvi. (1890); Wyatt, Brit. B., pi. 24, fig. 2 (1894). 
Adult Male. — Brown, streaked with black centres to the feathers, 
many of which are edged with grey ; head like the back and 
crested ; wing-coverts and quills dark brown, edged with tawny 
buff, the secondaries tipped with white ; eyebrow Labelline ; ear- 
coverts dark rufous, broadly streaked with black ; under surface 
of body white, washed with tawny buff or rufous on the fore- 
neck, chest, and sides of body ; the sides of the face and 
throat spotted with blackish, these markings longer and more 
distinct on the lower throat and chest, and developing into 
long streaks on the sides of the body ; under wing-coverts 
and axillaries dark ashy isabelline; outer tail-feather white, 
except a wedge-shaped mark of brown at the base of the inner 
web ; penultimate feathers white only on the outer web ; bill 
greyish brown, yellowish at base of lower mandible; feet flesh- 
coloured, with a livid tinge ; iris hazel. Total length, 7 inches; 
culmen, 0-55; wing, 4'35-4'55 ; tail, 2‘8; tarsus, ro. 
Adult Female.— Like the male in colour, but smaller. Wing 
from 3 '9-4-2 inches in length. 
Note.— The resident bird in many parts of England is very rufous in 
colour, much more so than the generality of Sky-Larks from other parts of 
Europe. The birds which migrate into England during the autumn are 
generally larger and much darker in colour. 
