IS 
CRESTED LARK. 
Alauda cristata , Gould. 
The Crested Lark is a European bird, an inhabitant of 
Italy, Sicily, Crete, Switzerland, Turkey, Greece, Spain, Hun¬ 
gary, France, Germany, Poland, Holland, Belgium, Siberia, 
and Russia, the latter in the summer, and other countries of 
this continent; as also in Asia Minor, and in Egypt and 
other northern parts of Africa. 
In this country one was shot in the county of Sussex, and 
another is said to have been killed near Taney, in Ireland; 
but the description does not seem to me to correspond. 
It is a migratory species, moving from south to north in 
the spring, and backwards again in the autumn. 
This bird is represented as approaching near to villages and 
houses, and as being rather solitary than gregarious in its 
habits. 
Its food consists of insects of various sorts, worms, and 
grain. 
Its song is sweet and agreeable, and is continued till the 
month of September. 
The nest is placed on the ground, and is made of grasses. 
The eggs are four or five in number, of a light grey colour, 
spotted with light and dark brown. 
Male; length, six inches and three quarters; bill, rather 
strong and large, and decurved towards the point, brown 
along the ridge and at the end, and paler on the sides and 
at the base; iris, dark brown: a buff white streak passes from 
it over the eye. Head on the crown, reddish brown, with a 
few of the feathers elongated, forming a crest, and pointing 
backwards; neck on the back, and nape, dark brown, in front 
pale yellowish brown; chin, white; throat and breast, pale 
vellow brown, streaked in front and on the sides with darker 
