White-winged Lark,
Alauda leucoptera, Pall. Zoog. Rosso-Asiai., tom. i. p. 5VS. tab. 33. fig. 2.
— tibirica, GmeL edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 799.
- bimacuhta ?, M€netr.
CalondreUa tibirica, Brandt.
Phileremos tibirica, Keys, et Bias. Wirbelth. Ear., p. 87.
_______leucoptera. Bias. List of Birds of Eur., Newton’s Eng. edit. p. 13.
Melanocorypha leucoptera, Boaap. Consp. Gen. Av. tom. i. p. 243, Melmoconjpha, sp. 6.
A iron specimen of this eastern bird was captured near Brighton in the latter part of the year 1869, prior
to which the furthest westward that the species was known to have occurred is the environs of Liège, where,
M Ch F Dubois states in his ■ Oiseau* de la Belgique,' an example, in the possession of the Baron dc
sJlys-i on.reha.nps, was taken in December 1855. Captain Blakiston obtained examples in the Crimea ; Mr..
Tristram has others from the Volga; and the earlier writers describe it as inhabiting Siberia; it is, in fact,
another of the many Continental birds that bave of late years wandered into the British Islands, such as the
Saiid-Grouse, Scindian Bustard, and others. . ;
The White-winged Lark is a fine species, and, if it occurred frequently with us, would add considerably to
the interest of our avifauna. By Fallas and Latham it was regarded as a variety of the Calandra Lark ; but
although nearly allied to, it is really quite distinct from that species. Its proper home seems to be Siberia,
Tartar* and Southern Russia; but it occasionally occurs in Poland, and, as above mentioned. Captain
Blakiston found it in the Crimea. Of its habits, manners, and general economy but little is known ; that
little I shall here give on the authority oi the various writers.
Latham says “ this is plentiful in the sunny fields, in the neighbourhood of the river Irtish, in Siberia,
where it makes’its nest on the ground, like the Skylark, but is inferior to it in song.”
Dubois remarks that - its voice is not so agreeable as that of the Skylark; but its movements arc equal y
elegant. It nests like it on the ground in a slight excavation. I t is not very tim.il, and allows people to
approach closely without fear.” ,__________________ __
Sneaking of the bird in the Crimea, Captain Blakiston says,... the Zoologist for 1857 p. 5509 . -
■ A few days after this, the 5th of January, I was again on the par war, as a friend told me he had seen
Buntings, white below and rusty-colour above; with this hint I made for a camp where he said some
I , I been shot the ground being covered with snow ; and sure enough, on looking over a heap of small birds,
Wound the Calandra Lark, Common Bunting, and another new to me, which I put down for distinction as a
I oa d lbe LaUuüra^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ , prescrvell. The same officer a day or
Lath Bunting, . , ofthc same Krdj tbe White-winged Lark ( Jlaurla leucoptera), a male.
H e t " “ ed or heard of this species again ; on my return to England Mr. Gould kindly made this
bird out for me.” ^ a„ t||at bas bM„ recorded is comprised in the following
. . f * ; : : Z h e d by Mr. Bond in the • Zoologist ' for 1870. At page 1 9 8 4 , after enumerating a number
b r i e f notices, pubhshea y ^ takcn neor Brighton between September and the 6th of
f rarV ' r Îs e 9 he'says “ I also saw anolhcr bird, which I believe to be a yom.g Snowfincb,QFnug,lla
December 1869, he aays - ,c fflld m q„;te sure of its being a truly wild bird. I hope
ma.«»). I saw it very sho y AcJ at 2022 he says “ The bird I believed might be
soon to of thc 8 .beriai) Lark_ ,)ic first that has been recorded as occurring in
a p u n s Snowfinch 1 t(, 00r ,;st. as i, is very rare as a European species. To this the
Kdhur adds “ Mr G. Dawson Rowley has favoured me with a note to exactly .be same purport, and
adds that Professor Newton acquiesces in this decision 0f tj,e malc, and the greater amount of
The sexes differ considerably; | d the tw0. The plumage of the example
d r u w w M I - 1 h ~ f t j-Mo'"-Eaq-of “ Hn
Lewes, is represented by the ^ ™ ^ ufo„s ; the upper surface of the body
The male has the head g ^ dmv„ the c0„trc „f each feather; wings dark brown the
gceyish brown, wdh a K I ^ ^ ripped with light reddish brown; secondaries