276 APPENDIX OF 



Said to be plentiful in Spain and Italy, and to occur in 

 the South of France, along the Mediterranean. 



Alauda brachydaetyla, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. i. 284. 

 Gould, Birds of Eur. iii. 



ORDER VIII. DEGLUBITRICES. 

 FAMILY XXII. ICTERIN^E. 



Bill of moderate length, or short, stout, straight, 

 conical, pointed ; upper mandible with the dorsal line 

 nearly straight, the nasal sinus short and very wide, 

 the ridge encroaching on the forehead, the sides rounded, 

 the edges without notch ; lower mandible with the angle 

 short and rounded, the dorsal line straight, the edges 

 involute, the tip pointed. Upper mandible internally 

 concave, with three longitudinal ridges, the medial 

 large, and forming a hard prominence at the base ; 

 tongue narrow, and pointed; oesophagus wide, dilated 

 about the middle ; stomach roundish, or elliptical, with 

 the lateral muscles well developed ; epithelium dense 

 and longitudinally rugose ; intestine short, and rather 

 wide ; cceca very small, cylindrical ; cloaca oblong. 

 Nostrils basal, roundish or oblong. Eyes of moderate 

 size. Aperture of ear rather large. Head rather large, 

 ovate ; neck generally short ; body moderately full. 

 Tarsi compressed, with seven or eight anterior scutella ; 

 hind-toe large, lateral toes equal, the outer adherent at 

 the base ; claws generally long, arched, compressed, 

 acute. Plumage soft and blended, in the males usually 

 glossy ; wings of moderate length, with the outer three 

 or four quills longest ; tail of twelve feathers, varying 

 in length. 



Generally gregarious, feeding on seeds and other 

 vegetable substances, as well as insects and worms. 

 They occur chiefly in the warm regions of both con- 

 tinents. 



GENUS. AGELAIUS. MARSH-BLACKBIRD. 



Bill shorter than the head, stout, conical, tapering 

 to an acute point ; upper mandible with the dorsal line 



