Part 53

Bill of moderate length, straight, very slender, as broad as high at the base, compressed toward the end; upper mandible with the ridge narrow at the base, the notches slight, the tip a little deflected; lower mandible with the dorsal line straight, the edges involute, the tip acute. General form very slender. Tarsus of moderate length, much compressed; toes slender; claws arched, extremely compressed, acute, that of the hind toe much elongated. Plumage soft and blended. Wings long; the outer three quills about equal and longest; inner secondaries tapering, one of them nearly as long as the outer primaries when the wing is closed. Tail rather long, emarginate.

150. 1. Anthus Ludovicianus, Lichtenstein. American Pipit.

Plate X. Male and Female. Plate LXXX. Young.

Hind claw longer than the toe, slightly arched, and very slender. Male, in winter plumage, with the bill dusky, the legs and claws deep greenish-brown; upper parts greyish-olive, tinged with green, and obscurely streaked with dusky; a whitish band over the eye, cheeks brown; lower parts brownish-white, the throat white, the sides and lower part of the neck, fore part of breast, and sides of body marked with elongated, distinct, blackish-brown spots; quills and tail-feathers dusky, margined with greenish-grey, the lateral tail-feathers half white, the next obliquely white at the end. Female similar. Male in summer with the bill black, the upper parts olive-brown, tinged with grey; a greyish-white line over the eye, cheeks greyish-brown; lower parts light yellowish-grey, the fore neck and breast often deeply tinged with red, and marked with short, slender, brownish-black spots, the sides streaked; quills and tail-feathers as in winter with the pale margins less distinct. Young more tinged with green above, the bill paler, with a great part of the lower mandible yellowish-red, the lower parts pale yellowish-grey, with an obscure lunule of brownish-black on the fore neck, the lower part of which and the sides are streaked with dark brown, and tinged with reddish-brown.

Male, 6-1/2, 10-1/2.

Throughout the Western and Southern Districts during autumn and winter. Breeds in Labrador and the Fur Countries. Abundant.

Brown Lark, Alauda rufa, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. v. p. 89.

Anthus Spinoletta, Bonap. Syn. p. 90.

Brown Titlark, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p 49. Adult.

Prairie Titlark, Anthus pipiens, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 408, Young. Brown Titlark and Prairie Titlark, v. v. p. 449.

This species is nearly allied to Anthus aquaticus and A. pratensis, more especially to the latter, from which it is distinguished by having the bill much stouter, the tarsus longer, the hind claws stouter, more curved, and much shorter, the colour of the feet much darker, in being always much more rufous beneath, and in sometimes, when the summer is advanced, being almost entirely unspotted there. From A. aquaticus it is at once distinguished by the whitish band over the eye, and the white on the outer tail-feathers. It indeed seems wonderful that any ornithologist should have mistaken it for that species.

FAMILY XIV. ALAUDINÆ. LARKS.

Bill rather short, or of moderate length, somewhat conical, compressed toward the end; upper mandible with its dorsal line sloping and slightly convex, the edges sharp and overlapping, the notches generally obsolete; the tip narrow and a little deflected; lower mandible with the angle of moderate length and narrow, the dorsal line ascending and nearly straight, the edges slightly inflected, the tip acute; gape-line straight. Nostrils elliptical or oblong, basal. Head oblong, of moderate size; neck rather short; body ovate. Feet of moderate length, or rather long; tarsus compressed, with eight anterior scutella; toes slender, compressed; the hind toe elongated, second and fourth about equal, third much longer. Claws rather long, arched, slender, much compressed, laterally grooved, acute, that of the hind toe very long, straightish, tapering. Plumage generally soft and blended. Wings rather long, broad, the inner secondaries tapering, and one so elongated as nearly to equal the longest primary, when the wing is closed. Tail of twelve feathers, generally emarginate. Roof of the upper mandible concave, generally with three prominent lines; tongue slender, thin, flat, tapering to a slit and bristly tip; œsophagus of uniform width; stomach a very strong muscular gizzard of a roundish form and compressed, its lateral muscles very large, its epithelium dense and rugous; intestines short, of moderate width; cœca very small, cylindrical. Nest on the ground. Eggs five or six, oval, spotted.

GENUS I. ALAUDA, Linn. LARK.

Bill rather short, stout, somewhat conical, compressed, straightish, acute; upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly arched, the edges without notch, the tip acute; lower mandible with the dorsal line ascending, slightly convex, the edges a little inflected, the tip acute. Head rather large; neck short; body ovate. Legs of ordinary length, anteriorly scutellate; lateral toes nearly equal, hind toe of moderate size, with a very long, tapering, acute, and nearly straight claw. Plumage rather dense and compact. Wings of moderate length, the second and third quills longest; inner secondaries much elongated. Tail of moderate length, emarginate.

151. 1. Alauda alpestris, Linn. Shore Lark.--Horned Lark.

Male with two erectile pointed tufts of feathers on the anterior lateral parts of the head. In winter the upper parts dusky brown, the feathers paler on the edges; on the forehead a recurved crescentic band of brownish-black; another curved downwards, proceeding on each side from the base of the upper mandible; a band of yellowish-white over the eye and forehead; throat pale-yellow, with a broad dusky patch on the lower neck, the rest of the lower parts brownish-white; quills dusky, tail-feathers blackish, excepting the two middle, which are reddish-brown, like the upper tail-coverts. In summer, the brownish-black bands on the head and neck become deep black, the throat and frontal band white, and the upper parts light brownish-red. Female dusky brown above, dull white beneath; the wings and tail as in the male, but the black bands on the head and neck wanting. Young from the nest with the upper parts deep brown, mottled with pale reddish-brown, lower parts pale yellowish-grey.

Male, 7-1/2, 14.

Breeds in Labrador and northwards. Migrates in autumn southward, as far as the Texas. Not uncommon in the Western Country at that season.

Shore Lark, Alauda cornuta, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. i. p. 85.

Alauda alpestris, Bonap. Syn. p. 102.

Horned or Shore Lark, Alauda cornuta. Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 245.

Shore Lark, Nutt. Man. v. i. p.

Shore Lark, Alauda alpestris, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. ii. p. 570; v. v. p. 488.

FAMILY XV. FRINGILLINÆ. FINCHES.

Bill short, stout, conical, acute; upper mandible generally with its dorsal line more or less convex, the sides rounded, the edges inflected or direct, the tip acute; lower mandible with the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the edges involute. Gape-line ascending for more than a fourth of its length, then direct. Nostrils basal, roundish, partly concealed by the feathers. Head of moderate size, or rather large, ovate or roundish; neck short; body compact; tarsus generally shorter than the middle toe with its claw, compressed, with seven or eight anterior scutella; hind toe stout; outer toe adherent at the base, lateral about equal. Claws long or moderate, compressed, laterally grooved, acute. Plumage soft and blended, but firm. Wings various, acute, or rounded. Tail of twelve feathers. Roof of upper mandible concave, with three prominent lines, of which the middle is sometimes elevated into an oblong hard prominence. Tongue much compressed, pointed; œsophagus rather wide, with a dilatation or crop on the right side; stomach roundish or oblong, muscular, with the epithelium thin, dense, and longitudinally rugous; intestine short, rather wide; cœca very small, cylindrical. Trachea simple, with four pairs of inferior laryngeal muscles. The Fringillinæ pass into the Icterinæ on the one hand, and the Alaudinæ on the other. The Buntings scarcely differ from the Finches in any other character than the knob on the palate, which is common to them with the Icterinæ.

GENUS I. PLECTROPHANES, Meyer. LARK-BUNTING.

Bill very short, robust, tapering, somewhat compressed; upper mandible considerably narrower than the lower, its dorsal outline very slightly convex, the sides rounded, the edges inflected, the marginal outline slightly angulate; lower mandible with the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the edges involute. Nostrils basal, roundish, partly concealed by the feathers. Head of moderate size, ovate; neck short; body compact, tarsus shorter than the middle toe with its claw, compressed, with seven anterior scutella; hind toe stout; claws long, rather stout, little arched, acute, that of the hind toe much elongated. Plumage soft and blended. Wings long, pointed; the first quill longest. Tail rather long, emarginate.