SHORE LARK. 
3 
the moss in which it is embedded, and is placed on the 
ground, in the desolate regions where moss is almost the only 
vegetation. 
The eggs are four or five in number, greyish white, spotted 
with pale blue and brown spots. They are laid in the be¬ 
ginning of July. 
The young, says Mr. Audubon, which are hatched about 
the middle of July, and fully fledged by the 1st. of August, 
leave the nest before they are able to fly, and follow their 
parents over the moss, in which they drop and endeavour to 
conceal themselves on the appearance of any danger. They 
run nimbly, and are fed for about a week. If observed and 
pursued, the same author further relates, that they utter a 
soft ‘peep,’ open their wings to aid them in their escape, and 
separating, make off with great celerity. On such occasions 
it is difficult to secure more than one of them, unless several 
persons be present, when each can overtake a bird. The 
parents all this time are following the enemy overhead, 
lamenting the danger to which their young are exposed. 
Male; length, about seven inches; bill, bluish horn-colour, 
almost black at the tip: a black streak passes from its base 
to the eye, and spreads out behind it. Iris, dark brown, 
over it is a yellow streak: some bristly feathers cover the 
nostrils. Forehead, yellow, greenish ash-colour after the 
autumnal moult; head on the sides, and between the bill and 
eye, black; on the front of the crown there is a broad 
transverse black band, which ends on each side with a few 
long and pointed black feathers, which the bird elevates at 
pleasure; the back of the head, black, which turns to dusky 
brown in the winter, and is mixed with the yellow feathers 
at the edges; crown, greyish brown. Neck on the back, 
greyish brown tinged with red; nape, greyish brown, the 
central part of the feathers being darker than the edges; chin, 
throat, and sides of the neck, fine pale yellow, white in 
summer. Breast above, the same, with a gorget of black 
across the upper part of it, which fades to dusky brown in 
the winter; below, it is dull white, and tinged with a reddish 
brown on the sides; back, brown, the centre of each feather 
being darker than the edges; in summer it becomes light 
brownish red, and has a tinge of purple: after the autumnal 
moult it is imbued with grey. 
The wings, which extend to within three quarters of an 
inch of the end of the tail, have the first three quill feathers 
