ALAUDID.E 



CALENDULA 



201 



mornings, rarely permits him to approach so near as to enable him 

 to shoot it. It soars very frequently, particularly in the early part 

 of the day, and about sunrise whistles delightfully ; being, while so 

 occupied, generally perched upon the summit of the highest bush 

 which exists in the locality." 



Genus III. CALENDULA. 



Type. 



Calendula, Swainson, Class B. ii, p. 292 (1837) C. crassirostris. 



Bill thick, much compressed, higher than broad at the nostrils, 

 the culmen curved and convex ; the commissure arched ; the tip of 

 the upper mandible wide above and inflexed. Nostrils covered 

 with stiff bristle-like plumes. Wing rather long ; the first primary 



Calendula crassirostris. 



equal to the inner toe and claw ; the second nearly equal to the 

 third and fourth which are longest. Tail slightly forked. Lateral 

 toes equal ; hind claw long, nearly straight and pointed, longer than 

 the toe. Plumage : the back mottled, the feathers with black 

 centres. 



This Genus contains a single species the range of which is 

 confined to South Africa. 



