The Skylakk. BIRDS. The Woodlark. 3(5.^ 
great flocks, which may he seen sweeping over the 
fields, descending into the stubbles in search of food, 
and sometimes attacking the fields which have been 
sown with wheat. It would appear that at this season 
our British larks are reinforced by a considerable 
migration from the northern parts of Europe, and when 
the season is severe, many of those inhabiting Scotland 
pay a visit to the more southern parts of the kingdom. 
As they become fat during winter, unless the ground 
is thickly covered with snow so as to prevent their 
getting a sufficient supply of food, they are at this time 
regarded as a delicacy for the table, and are taken in 
great quantities at night, by dragging a net over the 
stubble-fields in which they generally roost. 
In common with the other larks the Skylark has the 
hinder claw very long — fig. 117 — the bill rather slender. 
Fig. U7. 
Foot of Skylark (.\lauda arvensis). 
and the tertial quills greatly developed, reaching, in 
fact, nearly to the apex of the wing when closed. In 
this last character they closely resemble the wagtails 
and pipits, the latter of which further agree with them 
in the elongation of the hinder claw, and in general 
appearance, as indicated in the names of titlark, pipit- 
lark, and tree-lark sometimes applied to some of them. 
Thus, we may regard the larks as constituting a point 
of junction between the great families of the finches and 
warblers, and of course, also between the Dentirostral 
and Conirostral groups of Passerine birds. The feathers 
of the back of the skylark are dark-brown, with pale- 
brown edges ; those of the top of the head are slightly 
elongated, foi-ming an erectile crest; the throat and 
breast are pale-brown with dark-brown spots, and 
the remainder of the lower surface is yellowish-white. 
The male measures seven inches and a quarter in 
length ; the female is a little smaller, and rather darker 
in colour. 
THE CRESTED 'LkS,'K{Alauda cristata)ht\,s a stronger 
and more curved bill than the Skjdark, and is of a 
brown colour above, and pale yellowish-brown beneath, 
with the chin white, and the breast streaked with dark 
brown. The crown of the head is reddish-brown, and 
a few of the feathers are considerably elongated, form- 
ing a pointed crest. The length of this bird is six 
inches and three quarters. It is an inhabitant of most 
parts of the continent of Europe, but is rarely met with 
in Britain; its range also extends over the greater part 
of Northern Asia. In its general habits it resem- 
bles the Skylark, and it has a sweet and agreeable 
song. 
THE WOODIiAEK {Alauda arhorea) is distinguished 
from the Skylark by its smaller size, its .^ength being 
only six inches, by its shorter tail, and by a streak of 
light brown, which passes over each eye. It is met 
with in cultiv'ated districts, where there are numerous 
tall hedges, woods, and plantations, as, unlike the Sky- 
lark, it perches freely on the branches of trees. Its 
song is inferior to that of the Skylark in variety and 
power, but superior to it in sweetness; and it is emitted 
b}'^ the bird both when on tlie wing and when perching. 
Its nest is built on the ground. The Woodlark is not 
a ver}^ abundant bird in Britain, and is rather local 
in its distribution, and more plentiful in the southern 
counties. It is a permanent resident in Southern 
and Central Europe, and a summer visitor to Sweden, 
Denmark, and Russia. 
THE SHORT-TOED LARK (Alauda Calandrella) is a 
rather smaller bird than the Woodlark, and is readily 
distinguished from any of the preceding species by 
the shortness of its toes, and especially of the hinder 
claw, which scarce!}^ exhibits any of the disproportion 
cliaracteristic of the larks in general. It is yellowish- 
brown above, with the centre of each feather darker ; 
and white beneath. A single specimen has been taken 
in this country ; but the true home of the species is in 
the southern and eastern parts of Europe and throughout 
Central Asia; it visits India during the cold season. 
When in good condition, it is caught in great numbers 
for the table in India, where it is known to the Euro- 
pean residents as the Ortolan. 
THE SHORELARK ( Otoccnds alpestris) is a northern 
species inhabiting the borders of the arctic seas in 
both hemispheres, and only descending into the more 
temperate regions in the winter. It is a rare occa- 
sional visitor to Britain. The Shorelark is about 
seven inches in length, and has the back brown, and 
the lower surface white ; the forehead, chin, and 
throat are yellow ; above the forehead is a black band, 
terminating on each side in a few elongated feathers 
which the bird has the power of raising in the form 
of a pair of pointed ears ; the cheeks and a broad 
crescent-shaped band on the breast are black. This 
bird is most abundant in the fur-countries of North 
America, where it is seen in considerable flocks. Its 
nest is made amongst the moss and lichens growing 
on the rocks ; and the bird sits so closely, and is so 
completely concealed by the similarity of its colouring 
to that of the surrounding objects, that a heedless 
passenger might almost tread upon it; but when any 
danger becomes imminent, it will flutter away as it 
lamed, so as to entice the intruder from the nest. 
THE GINGI LARK {Pyrrhulcmda grisea), a common 
species in all parts of India, resembles the Skylark 
in many of its habits, especially in frequenting and 
breeding in open cultivated grounds, and rarely, if 
ever, perching on trees. It is remarkable for the 
sudden ascents and descents which it performs in the 
air — rising to some height by a few flappings of its 
.wings, then descending again almost perpendicularly, 
till it nearly touches the ground, and repeating this 
movement several times in succession. Its nest is 
built on the ground, usually in a small hollow. It 
is a small species, measuring only four and a half 
