140 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



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although the other characters are somewhat similar. Calandritis of Cabanis, 

 with the same lack of first primary, has a much stouter bill. The spurious 

 primary, more depressed bill, and differently constituted nostrils and nasal 

 fossae of Alauda are readily distinctive. 



The type of this genus is 

 the Alauda alpestris, Linn., 

 a well-known cosmopolitan 

 species, tliough the birds of 

 the New World have been 

 distinguished under distinc- 

 tive names, as cornuta, chry- 

 solcema, peregrina, etc. The 

 examination and critical com- 

 parison of more than a hun- 

 dred specimens from all parts 

 of North America, however, has convinced us of the identity with alpcstris 

 of the several forms mentioned above, though it may be advisable to retain 

 one or more of them as geographical races. 



Species and Varieties. 



E. alpestris. Adult. Above pinkish-gray, varying to cinnamon, the pinkish 

 deepest on nape and lesser wing-coverts ; tail black (except two middle feathers), 

 the outer feather edged with white. Beneath white, the sides pinkish or grayish. 

 A frontal band and superciliary stripe, the middle of auriculars, chin, and throat 

 varying from white to deep Naples-yellow ; forepart of crown, and " ear-tufts," a 

 patch on lores and cheeks, and a broad crescent across the jugulum, deep black ; 

 end of auriculars ashy. Female and autumnal males, with the pattern less 

 sharply defined, and the colors more suffused. Young. Brownish-black above, 

 more or less mixed with clay-color, and sprinkled with whitish dots; wing- 

 feathers all bordered with whitish. Beneath white. Markings on head and 

 jugulum just merely indicated by dusky cloudings. 



Wing (of adult male), 4.20 to 4.60 ; tail, 2.90 to 3.16 ; culmen, .60 to .65. 

 White frontal band, .25 to .30, wide; the black prefrontal patch, .26 to .35 

 wide. The pinkish above of an ashy-lilac shade. 



Throat and forehead white, with only a very faint tinge of yellow ; 

 pinkish tinge above more rufous. Hab. Interior Northern Plains of 

 the United States ....... var. occidentalis. 



Throat and forehead pale straw-yellow, or strongly tinged with it ; 



pinkish tinge above varying from ashy-lilacous to purplish-rufous. 



Hah. Northern regions of Old and New Worlds . . var. alj^estris. 



Wing (adult male), 3.80 to 4.10; tail, 2.75 to 2.90; culmen, .53 to .62. 



White frontal band, .13 to .16 wide ; the black prefrontal patch .35 to .50 



wide. Pinkish above of a deep cinnamon shade. Hab. Desert plains of 



South Middle Province of United States, and table-lands of Mexico, south 



to Bogota .......... var. chrysolesma. 



