296 Dr. A, Hall on the Mammals and Birds 



Family III. Conirostres, 

 Genus Alauda. 

 Gen. char. Bill short, conic ; mandibles of equal length ; up- 

 per one convex and entire ; nostrils basal, oval, partly concealed 

 by the feathers of the forehead ; tongue bifid ; toes free ; hind 

 claw prolonged, nearly straight, and longer than the toe ; spuri- 

 ous feathers short or aberrant ; 2nd and 3rd primaries longest ; 

 two of the scapulars nearly as long as the primaries ; tail furcate; 

 coronal feathers erectile at pleasure. 



A. alpestris. Shore Lark. 



V.6.P. Bill dusky; legs and claws] black; irides hazel; eggs 

 unknown. 



Dorsal aspect. Frontlet, and line over and round the eye, end- 

 ing above the eyes yellow, succeeded on the forehead and sides 

 of the head by black ; nape of neck, crown of head, and dorsal 

 region reddish fawn ; small wing coverts tipped with white ; dor- 

 sal feathers with central black streaks ; tail square ; lateral fea- 

 thers white on their outer vanes ; all the rest blackish brown ex- 

 cept the two centre ones which are broadly edged and tipped 

 with fawn verging to white ; wings brownish black ; secondaries 

 and two or three last primaries edged with whitish, and tipped 

 with the same ; outer vane of 1st primary altogether white. 



Ventral aspect. Auriculars light brown, a black. streak from 

 the angle of the mouth to the cheeks, gradually increasing in 

 breadth ; upper part of the throat and sides of the neck yellow ; 

 breast with a broad black crescent ; abdomen, wing and tail co- 

 verts white ; vent and sides of the breast fawn. 



2nd primary longest ; 1st shorter than 3rd, but two lines longer 

 than the 4th. Length YJ inches ; alar breadth 13 inches. 



Genus Parus. 

 Gen. char. Bill short, straight, conic, compressed entire, fur- 

 nished with nuchal bristles ; nostrils basal, rounded, and concealed 

 by the projecting feathers of the forehead ; feet with the toes 

 divided ; hind claw strongest and most bent ; 4th and 5th pri- 

 Ciaries the longest, 



P. Palustris. Black-capped Titmouse. 

 P. atrieapillus. Baird 1 

 v.s.p. Bill black ; legs bluish ; irides dark hazel ; eggs 6 to 

 J.2, white speckled with reddish brown. 



