BIKDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 291 



aa. Toes relatively shorter, the middle one (without claw) not longer than exposed 

 culmen, the hallux not longer than lateral toes; no obvious spurious primary; tail 

 equal to or longer than distance from bend of wing to end of outermost secondaries, 

 shallowly emarginate or nearly even; crown not crested, but a horn-like tuft of 

 elongated narrow feathers on each side of occiput; plumage of adults mostly plain 

 al)ove (more or less pinkish, vinaceous, or cinnamomeous) the fore part of crown, 

 loral and suborbital regions, and chest black (dusky in adult females) . Otocoris (p. 295) 



Genus ALAUDA Linnaeus. 



Alauda Linn.^sus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, i, 1758, 165. (Type, by elimination, A. 

 arvensis Linn.^us.) 



Brownish, profusely streaked Alaudidie with middle toe (without 

 claw) longer than exposed culmen, hallux longer than lateral toes, a 

 minute spurious primary, and deeply emarginate tail. 



Bill about half as long as head, or less, narrowly conical, com- 

 pressed, its width at frontal antia? decidedly less than its depth at same 

 point, and equal to not more than half the distance from nostril to 

 tip of maxilla; exposed culmen shorter than middle toe without claw, 

 nearly straight for most of its length, but more or less perceptibly 

 decurved terminally, the tip of maxilla rather sharp but not uncinate; 

 gonj^s nuich longer than mandibidar rami, straight or veiy faintly 

 convex, ascending terminally; maxillary tomium nearly straight, with- 

 out trace of subterminal notch. Nostril concealed by short feather- 

 ing of frontal antiae, this feathering semierect above the nostril (where 

 involving the upper portion of nasal fossae) , decumbent on lower por- 

 tion. Rictal bristles minute, practically obsolete, the feathers of chin 

 and decumbent feathers overhanging nostril with rather distinct, 

 though short, bristly tips. Wing long and pointed, the longest prima- 

 ries exceeding secondaries by nearly, to much more than, one-third the 

 total length of wing; ninth, eighth, eighth and ninth, or seventh, 

 eighth, and ninth, primaries largest, the tenth (outermost) rudimen- 

 tary, very minute, much shorter than primary coverts (usually much 

 less than half their length). Tail shorter than distance from bend of 

 wing to end of outermost secondaries, deeply emarginate, the rectrices 

 slightly tapering or narrowing terminally, with narrowly rounded or 

 obtusely angular tip. Tarsus decidedly longer than middle toe with 

 claw, rather stout, its scutellation holaspidean, with acrotarsial divi- 

 sions sometimes indistinct; basal phalanx of middle toe united to outer 

 toe by more than its basal half, to the inner toe by slightl}^ to deci- 

 dedly less; outer toe, without claw, reaching to second joint of mid- 

 dle toe, the inner toe slightl}^ longer; hallux longer than inner toe, 

 stouter, its claw usually much longer than the digit, slender, nearly 

 straight or slightly arched; anterior claws small, slightly curved. 



Coloration. — Above brown, everywhere streaked \\\i\\ dusky, the 

 wings and tail dusk}^, with light brown edgings; lateral rectrices partly 

 white; under parts dull whitish, tinged \ni\\ tawny brown or buffy, 



