104 



THE ANIMALS OP NEW ZEALAND 



feathers, and had been placed in a beech tree, between the trunk 

 and spur, about seven feet from the ground. 



FamUy Motncillidae. 

 Bill slender, straight. Wing with only nine primaries, the firet 

 fully developed ; the inner secondaries lengthened. Tarsi 

 scutellate, the toes lengthened. 



Genus Anthus. 

 Wing with the first three primaries ecpial and longest. Tail 

 emarginate. Tarsi longer than the middle toe ; lateral toes equal ; 

 hind claw very long. Found all over the world except Polynesia. 



Ground Lark. 



The Ground Lark. — Pohoihol 



Anthus novae-zcalandiae. 



Above brown, below dull white, with brown spots on the breast. Cheeks 

 white with brown spots; a dark brown band through the eye. Outer 

 tail feather white except near the base; the shaft white. Second feather 

 white with an oblique mark of brown on the inner web; the shaft brown. 

 Hind claw equal to hind toe. Second, third, and fourth primaries 

 sinuated on the outer margin. Eye dark-brown. Length of the wing 

 3.6 in.; of the tarsus, 1 in. Egg — Greyish white, speckled all over with 

 greyish brown; length 0.7 in. The sexes are alike. In the young the 

 feathers of the upper surface, especially the wing coverts, are margined 

 with brownish white. Both islands, Chatham Islands, and Auckland 

 Islands. 



The New Zealand lark is a well known bird. Its nest, which is 

 on the ground, is made of grass, and is generally screened by 

 tussock. 



