644 ' The Sparrow-like Birds 



an entrance on the side, like that of the larger species, the two eggs which it 

 contained being pinkish white, with a cluster of reddish brown spots at the apex 

 and scattered spots of the same over the surface. 



THE SONG BIRDS 



(Superfamily Oscines) 



"It is unfortunate," says Mr. Ridgway, "that no better vernacular name 

 for this group of passerine birds has been invented or seems available. The 

 term is certainly both inappropriate and misleading, since by no means all 

 Oscines are songsters (some of them, in fact, being almost voiceless), while the 

 Pseudoscines and many of the Clamatores are as much gifted with musical 

 ability as the average oscinine songster." However, as the term has been long 

 in use, and is not likely to be supplanted by another of even as general appli- 

 cability, it may be accepted with the limitations implied above. As here 

 defined, the Oscines embrace no less than forty-nine so-called "families," 

 although but few of them can be considered as very trenchant groups. With 

 such a multiplicity of forms to deal with, it is absolutely necessary that some 

 division should be made, else the consideration would be involved in a hopeless 

 tangle. 



THE LARKS 



(Family Alaudidce) 



The first of the so-called "families" of singing birds happens to be very 

 well founded, for it not only includes within its limits singers of a high order 

 of musical ability, but it is rather sharply and clearly distinguishable from all 

 the others, a condition, it will be noted, which does not by any means obtain 

 in even a majority of the remaining "families." Although the Larks have at 

 least a superficial resemblance to a number of other forms, especially the Pipits, 

 being small, brownish and streaked, ground-haunting birds, they are known 

 at once by the structure of the tarsi, which are blunt behind instead of sharp, 

 as in all other oscinine birds. Their tarsi are also scutellated behind, except 

 occasionally in very old birds, the plates corresponding nearly in position and 

 number with those in front. As this form of the tarsus is generally regarded 

 as a generalized feature, the Larks are usually placed at the bottom of the series, 

 but as Dr. Stejneger has hinted, it may be in the light of our present knowledge 

 a specialized feature, in which case they should perhaps be placed at the top, 

 a position, indeed, which has sometimes been assigned them. In addition to 

 the above characters the Larks have long, pointed wings in which there are 

 normally ten primaries, though the outer is often very short or practically obso- 

 lete, lengthened inner secondaries, moderately long tails of twelve feathers, 



