150 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
were taken from the same nest; one was a perfect 
whole colour chocolate-brown, and one of an even 
tint of greenish grey, the rest like those above 
described. 
This concludes the list of Somersetshire Pipits: 
they are a very quiet inoffensive race, by no means 
conspicuous for beauty of plumage, all of them being 
rather sombre in colour, consequently escaping per- 
secution for ornaments for hats. ‘They are almost 
entirely insect-eaters, doing no harm whatever to 
either the garden or farm. ‘This also concludes the 
first division of the Insessores, the Dentirostres. 
Div. ControstreEs.—Family ALAUDIDE. 
The transition is easy from the Pipits to the 
Alaudide or Larks, the family generally placed 
first in the second division of the Insessorial birds: 
the Conirostres, as they are commonly called, from 
the shape of their beaks, which in all forms more or 
less of a cone. The whole of the birds in this 
division are more seed and grain eating than the 
Dentirostres ; therefore the good and mischief done 
by them to man is perhaps more equally balanced, 
but I think we shall see, as we proceed to examine 
the food of the various individuals, that the good 
predominates. Of the Alaudide I have only two 
