136 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



than middle toe ; lateral toes equal ; posterior toe about as long as the middle, its claw 

 longer tlian the digit, and nearly straight ; claws of anterior toe very small. Wing long, 

 pointed, the third and fourth (apparently second and third) quills longest, the second and 

 fifth sucessively, a little shorter ; the first so small as to be almost concealed ; tertials 

 much elongated, reaching about half-way from end of secondaries to tip of primaries; 

 their ends emarginated ; tail rather deeply emarginated, and a little more than half the 

 length of the wing. 



Species. 



A. arvensis. Above grayish-brown, beneath whitish, with a buffy tinge across 

 jugulum and along sides; every feather above with a medial streak of dusky; sides of 

 throat, sides, and across jugulum streaked with dusky ; the outer tail-feathers partly 

 white. Wing, 4.90 ; tail, 2.80 ; culmen, .40 ; tarsus, .80 ; hind claw, .50. Hab. Europe ; 

 accidental in Greenland and the Bermudas. 



Alan da arvensis, Linn. 



THE SKYLARK. 



Alauda arvensis, Linn, Faun. Sue. p. 76. Alauda vulgaris, Leach, Syst. Cat. Mamm. 

 and Birds in B. M. p. 21. Alauda ccelipcta, Pall. Zocigr. I, 524. Alauda segetum, 

 Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. 318. Alauda montana, Buehm, Viig. Deutschl. 319, t. 20, 

 f. 1. Alauda agrestis, Buehm, Vog. Deutschl. 320. Alauda italica, Gmel. S. N. I, 

 793. 



Sp. Char. Adult. Above grayish umber-brown, beneath white, tinged across the 

 breast with soft light ochraceous. Every feather above with a medial dusky streak, the 

 shaft black; Aving-feathers and upper tail-coverts bordered with white. Outer tail- 

 feather mostly white, the next one edged with the same. A plain, light superciliary 

 stripe ; auriculars nearly uniform light brownish ; sides of the throat, jugulum, and sides 

 with short streaks of dusky brown. 



Male. Wing, 4.90; tail, 2.80; culmen, .40; tarsus, .80; middle toe, .55; hind claw, .50. 



Young. Above more yellowish-fulvous, the feathers with central spots, instead of medial 

 stripes of dusky, and bordered terminally with whitish ; jugulum washed strongly with 

 ochraceous, and marked with dusky spots. 



Hab. Europe ; accidental in Greenland and the Bermudas ; Aleutian Islands. 



Habits. The famed Skylark of the Old World can rest a twofold claim 

 to be included in a complete list of North American birds. One of these is 

 their occasional occurrence in the Bermudas, and in Greenland. The other 

 is their probably successful introduction near New York. 



A few years since an attempt was made to introduce these birds, for 

 whicli purpose several individuals were set at liberty on Long Island. For a 

 short time they did well, and succeeded in raising one or more broods, but, 

 owing probably to the constant persecution of all small birds by the foreign 

 population of the neighborhood, the experiment nearly failed, and none were 

 noticed in that vicinity. Within the last year or two, however, several 

 pairs of these birds have been observed in Westchester County, and also on 

 Long Island, by parties competent to recognize them, and hopes are now en- 

 tertained that these desirable birds have obtained a foothold in this country. 



