OTOCORYS. 511 
1. Otocorys chrysolzma. 
Alauda chrysolema, Wag}. Isis, 1831, p. 530°. 
Otocorys chrysolema, Scl. P. Z. S. 1856, p. 306°; 1859, p. 372°. 
Otocoris chrgsolema, Finsch, Abh. nat. Ver. zu Bremen, 1870, p. 341°. 
Eremophila chrysolema, Scl. P. Z. 8. 1864, p. 174°. 
Eremophila alpestris, var. chrysolema, Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. B. i. p. 144°. 
Otocoris alpestris, var. chrysolema, Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 2787; Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. 
no. 4, p. 22°. 
Otocoris alpestris chrysolema, Hensh. Auk, i. p. 260°. 
Alauda cornuta, Sw. Phil. Mag. new ser. i. p. 434°. 
Phileremos cornutus, Bp. P. Z. S. 1837, p. 111". 
Eremophila cornuta, Dugés, La Nat. i. p. 140”. 
Alauda gracilis, Licht. Preis-Verz. mex. Vog. no. 59, p. 2; J. f. Orn. 1863, p. 56”. 
Supra sordide fusca, plumis singulis medialiter obscurioribus; vertice postico, nucha et cervice postica cum 
uropygio stricte rosaceo-cinnamomeis ; vertice antico, loris, genis et pectore nigerrimis ; fronte, superciliis, 
regione parotica et gula flavis; corpore reliquo subtus albo; alis fuscis, pallide fusco limbatis, tectricibus 
minoribus rosaceo-cinnamomeis ; cauda nigricante, rectricibus utrinque externis in pogonio externo albidis, 
rectricibus duabus intermediis fuscescentibus ; rostro nigro, mandibula infra ad basin albicante; pedibus 
obscure corylinis. Long. tota 6-0, ale 4:0, caudee 2°8, rostri a rictu 0°6, tarsi 0°7. (Descr. exempl. ex 
Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 
Av, juv. capite nec nigro nec flavo ornato, vertice omnino fusco striato. 
Hab. Nortu America, New Mexico, Arizona??.—Mexico!10" (Deppe%, Sallé?), 
Mazatlan (Grayson *7), Guanajuato (Dugeés 1”), Tonila °, valley of Mexico (White >) 
Tacubaya (le Strange), Oaxaca (Boucard?), San Mateo (Sumichrast ®). 
The North-American Shore-Lark (Otocorys alpestris) has recently® been carefully 
examined by Mr. W. H. Henshaw, and divided into no less than nine races or sub- 
species, of which the Mexican bird is one, and this he calls Otocorys alpestris chryso- 
lema, with the following definition :—“Length of wing 3°98, tail 2°91, bill 0°83, 
tarsus 0°46. Much deeper in colour than arenicolor (i.e. the bird of the Great Basin 
of the United States and Rocky Mountains). Nape &c. deep pinkish rufous; throat 
deep yellow, but breast always white——Habitat: Mexico, possibly across the border 
into Southern Arizona and New Mexico.” 
Without attempting to examine the whole question of the variation of these birds, 
for which we have not nearly sufficient materials, we can hardly be wrong in using 
Wagler’s name chrysolema for the Mexican bird. Whether it is really definitely sepa- 
rable from those found on the frontier States must remain an open question so far as 
we are concerned ; but we may remark that the small size, as compared with Northern 
birds, the bright yellow of the throat, and the clear pinkish colour of the nape and 
hind neck, seem to distinguish the race of the Mexican highlands. 
Otocorys peregrina of the highlands of Colombia, though separated by Mr. Sclater, 
has often been considered to be identical with O. chrysolema, but we think we can 
trace sufficient differences to justify its being kept separate. Comparing adult males, 
