PYRRHULAUDA AUSTRALIS. 



middle one longer than either by the last joint ; hinder toe shorter than the 

 shortest of the anterior ones, the claws nearly straight, that of the hinder toe 

 longer and stronger than any of the others. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Inches. Lines. 

 Length from tbc point of the bill to 



the tip of the tail 5 



of the bill 5 



of the wings when folded 3 2 



of the tail 2 2 



Inches. Lines. 



Length of the tarsus 7^ 



the outer toe 2f 



the middle toe 3i 



the hinder toe 2j 



the hinder toe and claw... ih 



Female. — Above dull rufous streaked with umber-brown, particularly on the 

 head and neck ; beneath rusty white, the breast mottled with umber-brown 

 stripes ; eye-brows white ; ear coverts brown ; the outer vanes of the two 

 lateral tail feathers, together with a portion of the inner vane of the outer- 

 most adjoining the shaft, and the tips of both cream-yellow. The young- bird 

 exhibits nearly the same colours as the female, only most of the feathers of 

 the upper parts are margined with dull rusty white, and the brown stripes on 

 the breast are less defined. 



Ill the year 1829, when I proposed to institute a new ornithological group under the title of 

 Pyrrhulauda, I was only acquainted with one bird (the present), which I regarded as possessing 

 typical characters. Since that period I have had opportunities of studying three other species, 

 — two of South Africa and one of India, — all of which go to confirm the propriety of the division 

 proposed. The figure of these birds and a few of their habits assimilate them to the FringiUina, 

 while the majority of their habits, together with several points in the structure of individual 

 parts, and the disposition of some of their colours, indicate their closer approximation to 

 Alaudincc. Temminck, by looking to their form, has classed them as Finches, while on the 

 other hand Lafresnaye,* by regarding the structure, &:c. of individual parts, has maintained 

 their place to be with the Larks, in which view he is supported by Lichtenstein, who esteems 

 them as Larks, and closely allied to Callendulle, Mirafra and L'Alouette ha eleuse of Levaillant. 



If it be a law of nature that every principal group shall consist of a series of subordinate 

 ones, each of which shall have its representative in some other principal groups, then we may 

 \\e\v Pyrrhulauda as the group oi FringiU'mcE, representing one of those of A laud hue ; but 

 on the contrary, if such be not a law, then we must concur witli the last-named authors in 

 placing Pyrrhidauda as a group of Akmdin(r. 



Tlie present species is gregarious, and flocks of several hundred individuals are often seen 

 upon the plains bordering the Orange River. It rises into the air, and after soaring for a time, 

 descends again like the larks, and like them also it builds its nest upon the ground, under the 

 shelter of a tuft of grass or some dwarf shrub. For more of its habits, see remarks to the 

 other species. 



■* Magaziu de Zoologie, par Gueriii, 18-'3.3. 



