150 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



were taken from the same nest ; one was a perfect 

 whole colour chocolate- brown, and one of an even 

 tint of greenish grey, the rest like those above 

 described. 



This concludes the list of Somersetshire Pipits : 

 they are a very quiet inoffensive race, by no means 

 conspicuous for beauty of plumage, all of them being 

 rather sombre in colour, consequently escaping per- 

 secution for ornaments for hats. They are almost 

 entirely insect-eaters, doing no harm whatever to 

 either the garden or farm. This also concludes the 

 first division of the Insessores, the Dentirostres. 



Div. CONIROSTRES. Family ALAUDID^E. 



The transition is easy from the Pipits to the 

 Alaudida3 or Larks, the family generally placed 

 first in the second division of the Insessorial birds : 

 the Conirostres, as they are commonly called, from 

 the shape of their beaks, which in all forms more or 

 less of a cone. The whole of the birds in this 

 division are more seed and grain eating than the 

 Dentirostres ; therefore the good and mischief done 

 by them to man is perhaps more equally balanced, 

 but I think we shall see, as we proceed to examine 

 the food of the various individuals, that the good 

 predominates. Of the Alaudidse I have only two 



