STT 0 R E - L A R K .
ALA Ulh I ALPESTRIS.
A SLA.HOI at the pages of the older works on ornithology will ihow that the Shore-Lark was in former days
considered a rare wanderer to our shores. It is quite possible the writers may have been correct in their
supposition; hut I should rather be inclined to believe that the species must have escaped notice, owing
to its similarity to tho Common Sky-Lark. Unless carefully watched, the two birds would scarcely bo
distinguished by the majority of observers. At any distance over thirty yards the dark markings and bright
colours round the head are not sufficiently conspicuous to the naked eye l o attract attention. Those,
however, who have once had an opportunity of studying the actions and general habits of this handsome
bird would be unlikely to overlook the species. The Shore-Lark appears fond of company ; on one
occasion I recognized a male and a couple of females associating with a party or Sparrows in tho roadway
towards the south cud of Yarmouth ; they also join for a time the flocks of Sky-Larks and Snow-Huntings
frequenting the denos along tho coast. Unfortunately for their own safety, these birds are remarkably
unsuspicious of danger, paying little regard to either net or gun.
It is only in Norfolk, Sutl'olk, and Sussex that I met with this Lark. The earliest date in any season on
which the species came under my observation was the 2oth of October; and not a single specimen was ever
noticed later than the second week in March. Towards the latter end or October IS7SI a flock numbering
between twenty and thirty, as well as several small scattered parties, frequented the South Denes at Yarmouth.
These birds repeatedly made their way among the buildings in the outskirts of the town, a favourite resort
being a few acres of ground adjoining the Xaval Deeptta] recently laid down for grass. From this spot,
when disturbed, they made their way cither to the upper portion of the sands by the drive or to the open denes
further south. Numbers of Snow-Huntings put in an appearance about the same time, and were invariably
to lie found cither along the roadway of the drive or among the sandhills. At times i remarked the two
species iulerniivcd while feeding, though, if alarmed, it was seldom they kept company for any distance. Fresh
comers joioed the lirsl arrivals early in November, anil were -till more eonliding than those previously noticed.
Suei'l parties might he watched feeding on the sandy links within twenty yards of the drive, utterly regardltiss
of tho traffic. In ibis locality 1 observed the Shore-bark in larger or smaller numbers daring the winters of
1871, '72, '73, 19, 'SI, and 'S2. The more lonely and unfrequented coast-lino between lllakcny and Salthouse
is bettor suited to the requirements of this species; and here they were to be met with collected iido large flocks
on the few occasions when I visited the district. The rough tanks bordering (he marshes, interspersed with
pools of water and coarse grass, were their haunts. If driven up while feeding, these birds were Tar less easily
alarmed than the Sky-Lark, for the most part merely hovering round the intruder for a tew mhiutcs, and
again settling close at hand.
The first specimens I obtained were a pair shot in December l*li2 ; these birds were in attendance on an
immense gathering of Suow-Ituntings on a marsh near Hunstanton. In November ls>72 I noticed a small