AVES. 503 



A small family, on which the former closes by some species of 

 IZmberiza, but which differs from them in a remarkable manner in 

 the covering of the tarsi 



Alauda L. (in part) 1 . Bill shorter than head, conical or 

 subulate. Nostrils basal, lateral. Wings with first quill spurious 

 or none, third and fourth quills subequal, longest of all. Tail even 

 or emarginate. Toes short. Posterior claw longer than hallux, 

 acute, somewhat straight. 



The larks. These birds make their nests upon the ground ; the female 

 lays 4 or 5 grey or reddish eggs, commonly with brown spots. They 

 live mostly in society, and sing whilst on wing, mounting perpendicularly 

 upwards. They feed on insects and seeds, and, with the exception of a 

 few species of North America (of the sub-genus Phileremos}, all belong to 

 the Eastern hemisphere. 



a) With bill thick. (Tarsi somewhat short. Tail short.) 

 Melanocorypha BOIE. 



Sp. Alauda calandra L., BUFF. PI. enl. 363, fig. 2; Southern Europe and 

 North Africa; Alauda tatarica PALL. Alauda, dot-bey TEMM. Mus. 

 L. B., lerapterhina Cavaignacii LAFBESNAYE Magas. et Revue de Zool. 

 1851, PI. i ; North Africa. 



Phileremos BREHM, Otocoris BONAP. 



Sp. Alauda alpestris L., BUFF. PI. enl. 650, fig. i, Diet. univ. d'Hist. not., 

 Ox. PI. 29, fig. 2. 



b) With bill slender. 

 Alauda auct. 



Sp. Alauda arvensis L., BDFF. PI. enl. 363, fig. i, NAUMANN, Taf.ioo, fig. i ; 

 the sky-lark, I'alouette, die Feldlerche; Alauda cristata L., BUFF. PI. enl. 

 503, fig. i, LESSON Ornith. PI. 66, fig. 2 ; NAUM. Taf. 99, fig. i, Cuv. 

 R. Ani., ed. ill., Ois. PL 32, fig. i, &c. 



Alcemon BLAS. and KEYSERL., (Gerthilauda SWAINS.). Bill 

 long, slender, curved. Wings with first quill short, third, fourth 

 and fifth subequal, longest of all. (Claw of hallux elongate, but 

 less than in Alauda. Tarsi elongate.) 



Sp. Alcemon desertorum, Alauda desertorum STANLEY, Alauda bifasciata 

 LICHTENST., TEMM. PL col. 393 ; Arabia, North Africa, and sometimes 



1 Some species of the genus Alauda of LINNAEUS belong to Anthus BECHST. ; 

 Alauda magna L. is Sturnus ludovicianus. See above p. 493. 



