nest is generally so well concealed
amongst the thrift samphire, wild stock, and other seaside plants which
grow rather rankly amongst those rocks, considering how little soil
there generally is for them and what wild storms they are subject to,
that it is by no means easy to find it, though one may almost see the
bird leave the nest.

The Bock Pipit is included in Professor Ansted's list, but marked as
only occurring in Guernsey. All the Rock Pipits I have seen in the
Channel Islands have been the common form, _Anthus obscurus_; I have
never seen one of the rufous-breasted examples which occur in
Scandinavia and the Baltic, and have by some been separated as a
distinct species under the name of _Anthus rupestris_.

58. SKY LARK. _Alauda arvensis_, Linnaeus. French, "Alouette des
champs."--Mr. Metivier, in his 'Dictionary,' gives Houedre as the local
Guernsey-French name of the Sky Lark. As may be supposed by its having a
local name, it is a common and well-known bird, and is resident in all
the Islands. I have not been able to find that its numbers are much
increased by migrants at any time of year, though probably in severe
weather in the winter the Sky Larks flock a good deal, as they do in
England. The Sky Lark breeds in all the Islands, and occasionally places
its nest in such exposed situations that it is wonderful how the young
escape. One nest we found by a roadside near Ronceval; it was within
arm's length of the road, and seemed exposed to every possible danger.
When we found it, on the 15th of June, there were five eggs in it,
fresh, or, at all events, only just sat on, as I took one and blew it
for one of my daughters. On the 19th we again visited the nest; there
were then four young ones in it, but they were so wonderfully like the
dry grass which surrounded the nest in colour that it was more difficult
to find it then than when the eggs were in it, and except for the young
birds moving as they breathed I think we should not have found it a
second time. A few days after--July the 3rd--there was very heavy rain
all night. Next day we thought the Sky Larks must be drowned (had they
been Partridges under the care of a keeper they would have been), but as
it was only one was washed out of the nest and drowned; the rest were
all well and left the nest a few days after. So in spite of the exposed
situation close to a frequented road, on a bit of common ground where
goats and cows were tethered, nets and seawee