1596 



THE PERCHING BIRDS 



above and beneath; a black band passes backward from the eye; the chin and throat 

 are white, as is the abdomen, but the fore-neck and breast are pale fulvous, spotted 

 with black. 



Another genus (Ammomanes) belonging to the group, with ten 

 primaries to the wings, is formed by the finch larks, of which the 

 African finch lark (A. deserti*) is represented in the left-hand figure 

 below, while other species inhabit India. Having the first primary long, as in 

 the preceding genus, these larks are specially distinguished by the thick beak being 

 much shorter than the head, and the nostrils concealed by plumelets. They inhabit 



The Finch 

 Larks 



r -% 

 i ^ 



THE AFRICAN FINCH LARK AND DESERT T.ARK. 



(One-half natural size.) 



open arid plains, from which they rise singing in the air for a short distance, and 

 then suddenly drop. 



There are several other genera of the group, such as the Asiatic bush larks 

 (Mirafra}, which may be distinguished from the finch larks by the open nostrils. 



The short-toed larks, genus Calandrella, are inferior in size to most 



. , of the family, and have the bill short and stout, with the upper 

 1 oed Larks _ 



mandible arched, while there are only nine primaries in the wing, of 

 which the first is long and reaches to the tip; the inner secondaries are lengthened 

 and reach to the end of the primaries, or nearly so; the tail is rather long and 



