ir,0 NuKTIl AMKiaCAN 15IliI)S. 



than riii<ltllt' tot-; litt<'ral t«»es «'(|iiiil ; jiosti'rior toe fthoiit us loiiir jis tho inidtll*'. its claw 

 loii^'tT than the (h^'it. an<l nearly sfrai^'hl : flaws of atitcritu' toe vrry small. Wiii^ l'*"K» 

 pointt'«h thr thii<l aii<l fourth (appaiftitly scooud and thinl) (luills lon^'rst, tlu' sccotid and 

 MlUi siu"»'ssiv«'ly, a litth' shoitrr; thf liist so small as to hr almost «'oii('t'ale<l ; tfitials 

 much t'ioiiiratjMl. n-achiii^' about hall-way from und of secondaries to tip of primaries; 

 their ends emaririiiated ; tail rather deeply emar^'iiiated, and a little more than half the 

 len^'th of the wiiij,'. 



Species. 



A. arvensis. Ahove gray ish-1 (town, hem-ath whitish, with a huffy tinge across 

 juirulwm and along sides; every feather ahove with a medial streak of dusky ; sides of 

 throat, sides, an<l across juguluni streakecl with dusky; the outer tail-feathers partly 

 white. Wing. 4.iM>; tad, 'J.MO ; culmen, .40 ; tarsus, .80 ; hind claw, .50. Hub, Europe; 

 accidental in Greenland and the Bermudas. 



Alauda arvensis, Linn. 



THE SKTLABX. 



Ahiudn arvensis, Linn, Faun. Sue. p. 7<). Ahtuda I'uJijnrift, Lf.acii. Syst, Cat. Mamm, 

 and Birds in li. M. p. 21. Ahiiuhi cccfiprtu. Pall. Z»Migr, I, :)'2i. Alamli segetnm, 

 ViixVAisi, V(»g. Deutscld. 318. Ahiuda uionttinn, Ukkum, V'()g. Dentsidd. 319, t. 20, 

 f. 1. Ahmda (Kjirstis, HiJiiii.M, Viig. Dcutschl. 320. Alauda italica, O.mkl. S. N. I, 

 793. ; 



Sp. t'HAH. Adtilt. Ahove grayish umher-hrown, heneath white, tmged across the 

 breast with soft light ochraceous. Every feather ahove with a medial dusky streak, the 

 shaft black; wing-feathers ami upper tail-coverts bordered with white. Outer tail- 

 feather mostly white, the next one edged with the same. A plain, light superciliary 

 stripe; anriculars nearly uniform light brownish; sides of the throat, jugulum, and sides 

 with short streaks of dusky brown. 



Mule. Wing, 4.0(>; tail. 2.80; culnnn, .40; tarsus, .80; middle toe, .55; hind claw, .50. 



Younf/. Above more yellowish-fulvous, tlie feathers with central spots, instead of medial 

 stri]>es of dusky, and bordered terminally with whitish ; jugulum washed strongly with 

 ochraceous, and marked with dusky spots. 



Hab. Europe; accidental in Greenland and the Bermudas; Aleutian Islands. 



Hadits. The famed Skylark of the Old World can rest a twofold claim 

 to be included in a coni|)lete list of North American birds. One of these is 

 their occasional occurrence in the Bermudas, and in Greenland. The other 

 is their probably successful introduction near New York. 



A few years since an attempt was made to introduce these birds, for 

 which purpose several individuals were set at liberty on Long Island. For a 

 short time they did well, and succeeded in raising one or more broods, but, 

 owing probably to the constant persecution of all small birds by the foreign 

 population of the neighborhood, the experiment nearly failed, and none were 

 noticed in that vicinity. Within tlie last year or two, however, several 

 pairs of these birds liave been observed in Westchester County, and also on 

 Long Island, by parties competent to recognize them, and hopes Jire now en- 

 tertained that these desimble birds have obtained a foothold in this country. 



