History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

Alauda. BIRDS. PASSERES. 79Gen. XL. ALAUDA. Lark.— Bill conico-subulate. Palateplain.Hind claw produced.86. A. arvensis. Field-Lark. — Plumage reddish-brownabove, yellowish-white, with dusky streaks beneath. Hind-clawnearly straight, and longer than the toe.A. vulgaris,Will. Orn.149. Sibb. Scot. 17—A. ar. Linn. Svst. i.287.Penn. Brit. Zool. i. 353. Temm. Orn. i. 281— E, Skye-Laik ; S, Laverock; W, Hedydd, Uchedydd G, ; Uiseag —A common resident.Length 7, breadth 12 inches ;weight an ounce and a half. Bill dusky, thebase of the lower mandible yellowish. Legs and claws dusky. Hindheadtinged with cinereous. Quills brown, with pale tips and edges. Tail brown ;the two middle feathers darkest ; the outer feather white on the outer weband tip of the inner ;the second white on the outer web only. The femaleresembles the male. Pair in April. Nest on the ground, of dry stalks, linedwith fine roots of grass. Eggs 4, dirty white, spotted with brown—The larkabounds in open cultivated situations. Is esteemed for its song, and as a delicacyfor the table. Congregates in wandering docks during the winter.87. A. rubra, Red Lark.— Plumage above rufous-brown,beneath reddish-white. Hind-claw curved, and of the lengthof the toe.Penn. Brit. Zool. i. 359. Turton's Gm. Syst.i. 482—In England, rare.Size same as the preceding. Bill dusky above, whitish beneath ;legs palebrown. A white line above and below the eye. Chin and throat white. Backwith black, and breast with dusky spots. Middle feather of the tail black, edo-edwith brown, the two exterior white—This species was first detected, nearLondon,in histakenlength. He says, in the Supplement, "The size, the bill, legs, and the hindclaw,bespeak the species ; especially the great length of the tail in proportionto the wings, which, when closed, do not reach within two inches of theend."88. A. arborea, Wood-Lark.—A white band from the billover the eyes, surrounding the crown of the head.Will. Orn. 149. Sibb. Scot. 17- Linn. Svst. i. 287. Penn. Brit. Zool. i.35C. Temm. Orn. i. 283— W, Hedydd-y-coed ; G, Riabhag-choilleIn the neighbourhood of woods.Length Ci, breadth 12| inches ;weight about an ounce. Bill duskv, whitishat the base of the lower mandibla. Irides hazel. Legs yellow. Plumageabove, brownish-black, with pale edges; cheeks yellowish-white; beneathpale yellowish-white, with dusky longitudinal streaks. Quills dusky, edgedwith brown ; the coverts tipped with white. The two middle tail-feathersbrown, the next dusky, and the four exterior ones black. The female wantsthe tinge of yellow beneath, and the white band of the head is obscure. Pairin March. Nest on the ground, of coarse grass, lined with finer fibres, withsometimes a few long hairs.Eggs 4, wood-brown, with blotches of gre}r andbrown.— This species lives in families during the winter. Chiefly sings in theair, flying in large irregular circles, or when perched on the top of a tree.Sings sometimes late in the evening, and has been mistaken for the nightingale.