114 



the genus Mirafru than to that of Alauda. The bill is infinitely 

 more robust than that of Alauda. The size of the bird is larger, 

 and its ensemble rather that of Mirafra than Alauda, and the inter- 

 nal organization has a close resemblance to the former, in the propor- 

 tional length of the intestines and the colon, in the form of the lobes 

 of the liver, in the spleen, in the size of the gizzard and substance of 

 the digastric muscles, and particularly in the form and position of 

 the caca. Mr. Yarrell very justly remarks, that the bird in depart- 

 ing from the type of Lark approaches to that of Plectrophanes of 

 Meyer ; but differs from the latter in not ha\'ing a curved long hind 

 claw, and also in its more robust character ; in short, it has a station 

 between the Larks and the Finches ; it differs also sUghtly from Mi- 

 rafra in its hind claws being those of a Lark, while its bill and other 

 external and internal characters are those oi Mirafra. On the whole, 

 therefore, it appears desirable to divide the genus Alauda into sub- 

 genera, and constitute the Londra a new subgenus, to which the 

 name of Londra may be given. The Andalusian bird would thus be 

 the Londra Calandra, and an undescribed species from China, now in 

 the gardens of the Society, appears to form a second example of this 

 genus. The generic characters of Londra are as follow : 



Londra. Genus novum. 



Rostrum crassum; cajntis longitudinem sequans; basi altum, sub- 

 compressum ; maxilla arcuata; tomiis integerrimis. 



Nares plumis anticum versus tectse. 



Alacorpore longiores.acuminatae ; remigibus, prima sub-abbreviata, 

 tertiii longissima, secunda et quarta fere requalibus ; reliquis gra- 

 datim brevioribus. 



Cauda cuneata. 



Pedes robusti ; unguis hallucis rectus elongatus. 



Typus est, Alauda Calandra. 



" The specific characters of Londra Calandra as published are sufH- 

 ciently accurate. 



" liie following are the measurements of a male bird ; and as I 

 have seen many scores of them, I think I may say thej' would apply 

 to the generahty of individuals of the species. 



" Length, from the tip of the bill to the rump, 5 inches ; bill, 4-2-; tail, 

 21 inches; tibia, 1 -jV; tarsi, including nail, 1-rV; hind claw, -^^ inch ; 

 liver of two lobes, one much longer than the other ; gall-bladder 

 fully developed ; spleen cylindrical, -t^ inch ; intestines, 9 i^j inches ; 

 duodenum very wide ; small intestines narrow ; caca, -ttt. little more 

 than oblong specks ; colon, i inch long ; gizzard very small ; but di- 

 gastric muscle, -jV inch thick ; testes very large, nearly globular ; 

 irides black. These birds are fed upon canary seed in Andalusia, but 

 in Lisbon they are fed upon wheat ; nevertheless they are fond of 

 raw meat, flies, and worms. They are soon accustomed to confine- 

 ment, and they sing unconcernedly, although surrounded by spec- 

 tators; their notes, some of which aie a kind of double-tongueing 

 in the phrase of flute players, are remarkal)ly rich and full." 



