262 SKETCHES OP EUROPEAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



Short-toed Lark, Alauda brachydactyla, Temm. — Alouette a 

 doights courts, Fr. — Die Kurtzehige Lerche, G. — La Calandrelle, 

 Bonelli, in Mem. de T Acad. fyc. Turin. Two beautiful figures ! — 

 The Short-toed Lark, with the Alauda calandra, the Alauda bima- 

 culata, and the Alauda tartarica, may be regarded as constituting a 

 distinct sub-generic group, distinguished from the typical Larks — the 

 Sky Lark for instance — by the more powerful and robust form of the 

 bill, and by the comparative shortness of the toes. — This group has 

 received the title of Melanocorypha, Boie. Of the four species, all 

 inhabit southern Europe, with the exception of the Alauda tartarica* 

 which is a native of the high northern latitudes. — The Short-toed 

 Lark abounds in the hot plains of the Spanish peninsula ; it is also 

 found in France, Italy, Sicily, and the north of Africa. Like the 

 Larks of the restricted genus Alauda, it makes its nest on the 

 ground. The eggs are plain, of a pale Isabella yellow. 



Dalmatian Pelican, Pelicanus cuspus, Feldegg. The drawing of 

 this bird is by Mr. Lear, with all the spirit and all the mannerism of 

 that artist ; the beauties, however, prevail over the defects : it is a 

 striking and effective plate. — The Common Pelican, Pelicanus Ono- 

 crotalus, and the present are the only two species which can be placed 

 in the list of the Fauna of Europe. Two species, P. trachyrhynchus 

 and the P. fuscus, are found in America. It is but lately that this 

 noble bird has been discovered and characterised ; well, therefore, 

 may Mr. Gould say : " A bird of such striking magnitude as the 

 present having so long escaped pbservation, even on the shores of 

 Europe, what may we not expect from those more distant countries, 

 to which the scrutinizing eye of the naturalist has seldom penetrated ! 

 Although this species has been introduced to the notice of the scientific 

 within the last few years only, it has doubtless long abounded where 

 it is now found. The specimen from which our figure was taken was 

 sent us by Baron de Feldegg, and was one of twenty-four killed by 

 him on the shores of Dalmatia. In the letter which accompanied 

 this specimen the Baron thus writes : ' The first example of this bird 

 that came under my notice, was shot by myself in the year 1828, in 

 Dalmatia, and was sent to the imperial cabinet in Vienna. Two 

 years after this, Messrs. Riippell and Kittlitz met with this species in 

 Abyssinia, where, however, it would appear to be very scarce, as 

 those gentlemen procured only a single specimen. In the year 1832 

 I published a description of it, under the name of Pelicanus crispus. 

 The Pelicanus crispus has undoubtedly escaped notice in conse- 

 quence of no naturalist having seen both species (viz. : this and the 



