Lark

Lark, any bird of the Passerine family Aiaudidse, with fifteen genera, containing 110 species, chiefly from Asia and Africa. The inner secondaries are considerably elongated, and about equal to the primaries; the hind claw considerably lengthened, and nearly straight, or very slightly curved, and the tarsi scutellated behind. The type-genus Alauda, with seventeen species, ranges over the Palsearctic region, all Africa, India, and Ceylon. They are small birds, plain-coloured, or spotted and streaked, nesting on the ground, noted for their song as they rise aloft, and valued for the table. The Skylark (A. arvensis) is a common British bird, partially migratory, though very many remain during the winter. In the autumn great flocks come from the Continent to England, which serves in some sort as a starting-place for migration southwards. The general length is about seven inches, and of the female a little less. The plumage on the upper parts is brown of various shades; the throat and top of the breast pale wood-brown, with dark spots, and the lower parts are pale yellowish-brown, with a darker wash on the thighs and flanks. The feathers of the head, which are dark brown with a pale edging, form a crest. The skylark is a common cagebird, and its song has been celebrated by poets. A. arborea, the Woodlark, also British, is a much rarer bird; and A. cristata, the Crested Lark, and Otocorysalpestris, occasionally visit this country.