THE TITLARK. 319 



the more attractive bird, was preserved. This species appears to 

 inhabit the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and America, being 

 more plentiful in the latter continent than elsewhere : it has 

 been described by WILSON, RICHARDSON, and AUDUBON, the 

 latter of whom says it is seldom found west of the Alleghany 

 mountains. 



180. THE TITLARK. 



Alauda Trivialis, LIN. Alouette Pipi, Bur. Der Baumpieper oder Die 

 Spitzlerche, BECH. 



Description. This and the three following birds, though 

 usually classed with the Larks, are entitled to this classifica- 

 tion only by the colour of their plumage, and by the fact, that 

 two of them possess a long spur. They are generally slighter 

 in make ; and in the shape of the beak, and the characteristic 

 movement of the tail, rather resemble the Wagtails. In a 

 wild state their food consists wholly of insects. They have 

 two light coloured stripes upon the wings; a similar stripe 

 passes above the eyes, and the throat is free from spots. They 

 have all a mournful piping call, and, unlike the Larks, bathe 

 in water, instead of sand. I consider them to be a link be- 

 tween the Wagtails (Motacilla) and the Larks (Alauda), and 

 to form a class which I call Pipits (Anihus). 



The Titlark is the smallest of all German Larks, whether 

 properly so called or not, being only five inches and a half in 

 length, of which the tail measures two inches and a half. 

 The beak is very pointed ; the upper mandible blackish brown, 

 the lower whitish ; the feet ten lines in height, and, as well 

 as the claws, a pale flesh colour. The spur, or hinder claw, 

 is crooked. The head is rather long, and, with the nape of the 

 neck, back, rump, and sides, olive brown, spotted with black ; 

 the lower part of the body, as far as the belly, rusty yellow, 

 covered with black longitudinal spots, which begin at the 

 corner of the beak, and extend over the breast. The belly is 

 white ; the smaller wing-coverts olive brown ; the two larger 

 rows blackish, the upper having a margin of white, tho lower 

 of reddish white, which produce two white stripes on the 

 wings. The pen feathers are dark brown, edged with olive 

 grey ; the tail thin, and somewhat forked. All the feathers 

 of the tail are pointed, and dark brown; the external ones 

 being white half way down the outer plume, and the next 



