636 



ALAUDID^. 



coverts and tertials edged with buffy- white ; the two middle 

 tail-feathers nearly uniform light brown ; the outer tail- 

 feather on each side light brown, with a buffy-white outer 

 margin ; the other tail-feathers dark brown ; the chin white ; 

 neck in front, breast and under parts pale yellow-brown ; 

 the breast and flanks streaked with darker brown : legs, 

 toes and claws, pale brown. 



The whole length of the bird is six inches and three- 

 quarters ; the wing from the anterior bend to the tip of the 

 longest primary four inches and one-eighth ; the bill along 

 the ridge seven lines ; the tarsus one inch ; the hind toe 

 and claw nine lines. 



The females are said to be smaller than the males, and to 

 have a shorter crest. The young are generally paler and 

 more rufous than the adults, and have all the feathers above 

 with a narrow, dark subterminal bar and a whitish tip. 



To the description above given must be added that the 

 axillary feathers and lower wing-coverts are rufous-buff, and 

 that the wing-quills beneath have a border of the same 

 colour at the base of their inner web. This is a feature 

 common to all the Crested Larks which, from their thicker, 

 stronger and more curved bill, have been separated fi-om the 

 genus Alauda by many authors. The proper name which 

 the group should bear is, however, doubtful. The earliest, 

 Galerida, given by Boie in 1828, is, when sj)elt correctly, 

 Galerita, found to have been preoccupied for a genus of 

 insects, and is, therefore, though very generally used, inad- 

 missible. 



The vignette below represents the breast-bone and the feet 

 of the Skylark of the natural size. 



