314 
BROWN LARK. 
bourhood of Philadelphia all winter, if the season be moderate. 
In the southern states, particularly in the lower parts of North 
and South Carolina, I found these Larks in great abundance in 
the middle of February. Loose flocks of many hundreds were 
driving about from one corn field to another; and in the low 
rice grounds they were in great abundance. On opening num- 
bers of these, they appeared to have been feeding on various 
small seeds with a large quantity of gravel. On the eighth of 
April I shot several of these birds in the neighbourhood of Lex- 
ington, Kentucky. In Pennsylvania they generally disappear, 
on their way to the north, about the beginning of May, or ear- 
lier. At Portland, in the District of Maine, I met with a flock 
of these birds in October. I do not know that they breed with- 
in the United States. Of their song, nest, eggs, &c. we have no 
account. 
The Brown Lark is six inches long, and ten inches and a half 
in extent; the upper parts hrown olive touched with dusky; 
greater coverts and next superior row lighter; bill black, slen- 
der; nostril prominent; chin and line over the eye pale rufous; 
breast and belly brownish ochre, the former spotted with black; 
tertials black, the secondaries brown, edged with lighter; tail 
slightly forked, black; the two exterior feathers marked largely 
with white; legs dark purplish brown; hind heel long, and 
nearly straight; eye dark hazel. Male and female nearly alike. 
Mr. Pennant says that one of these birds was shot near Lon- 
don. 
