EAELY SPRING IN MASSACHUSETTS. 227

Returning about 5 P. M. across the Depot
Field, I scare up from the ground a flock of
about twenty birds which fly low making a short
circuit to another part of the field. At first they
remind me of bay-wings, except that they are in
a flock, show no white in tail, are, I see, a little
larger, and utter a faint sveet sveet merely, a
sort of sibilant chip. Starting them again, I
see that they have black tails, very conspicuous
when they pass here. They fly in the flock
somewhat like snow-buntings, occasionally one
surging upward a few feet in pursuit of another,
and they alight about where they first were. It
is almost impossible to distinguish them upon
the ground, they squat so flat, and so much re-
semble it, running amid the stubble. But at
length I stand within two rods of one and get
a good view of its markings with my glass.
They are the Alauda alpestris or shore lark, a
quite sizeable and handsome bird. A delicate,
pale, lemon-yellow line above, with a dark line
through the eye. The yellow again on the
sides of the neck and on the throat, with a buff-
ash breast and reddish-brown tinges. Beneath,
white. Above, rusty brown behind, and darker,
ash or slate with purplish -brown reflections,
forward. Legs black. Bill blue and black.
Common to the old and new world.
March 24, 1859. Now when the leaves get to



228 EARLY SPRING IN MASSACHUSETTS.
