ALA UBID^E — CALANDMTINJE : SHUliE LARKS. 



281 



4 to.MfZJrfff, belong to an entirely tliffevent family, the Motacillida: ; while tlie Amerieau lield- 

 larh is one of the Lcteridce, much further removed. 



According to shape of bill, structure of nostrils, and apparent number of ])riuiaries, the 

 family may be divided into two subfamilies, the Alaiuliiue, t_ypitied by the celebrated sky-lark 

 of Euroi>e, and the Calandritinos, of which the well-known horned lark is a typical represeuta- 



tive. B(jth of these occur iu Xia'th America ; 



the Alauda, ho\^'ever, only as a straggler from 



Europe. 



CALA^'DEITI^'JE, Tvitbout evident spurious 1st primary, 

 the piimaiius apparently only 9. 



A.LAUDIN,E, -with spurious 1st primary, the primaries 

 therefore evidently 10. 



II. Subfamily CALANDRITIN/E : 

 Shore Larks. 



Represented in a\-merica by the single genus 

 Eremophilfi, of which there are liiimiually ten, 

 Fig. 153. - Shore Lark, much reduccJ. (From Ten- n'liH.V t'-'Ur i.r five .species, one of wliich occurs 

 ney, after Baird.) in Xnrth America. 



27. EREJIO'PHILA. (6r. epiifios, ercmos, a desert ; (ptkta, pliileo, I love.) Horxed Larks. 

 Primaries apparently only 9 (no obvious spurious 1st primary). Point of the wing formed 

 by the first 3 developed primaries. Inner secondaries elongated. TaQ of medium length, 

 nearly even, the middle pair of feathers difl'erent in shape and color fi-om the rest. Bill com- 

 pressed-conoid, acute, shorter than head. Nostrils completely ctiucealed by dense tufts of 

 antrorse feathers. Head not crested, but a peculiar tuft of feathers over each ear, somewliat 

 like the so-called "horus" of some owls. Feet of ordinary alaudine characters, as already 

 given. Coloration peculiar in the presence of yellowish tints and strong black bars on the 

 head and breast. The birds of this genus frequent open places, are strictly terrestrial in haliits, 

 and never hop when on the ground, like most Passeres : they are migratory in most localities, 

 and gregarious, except when breeding ; nest on the ground, and lay -1—5 speckled eggs ; sing 

 sweetly in the spring time. 



83. E. alpes'tris. (Lat. alpestris, alpine. Figs. 153, 15-1.) Horned or Shore Lark. $ 9 , 

 adult, in breeding plumage ; Upper parts in general pinkish-brown, this piuliisb or vinaceous 

 or liliaceous tint brightest on the nape, lesser wiug- 

 coverts, and tail-coverts, the rest of the upper parts 

 being duller and more grayish-brown, boldly variegated 

 with dark brown streaks; middle pair of tail-feathers 

 and several of the inner secondaries rufous-brown, mth 

 darker centres. Under parts, from the breast backward, 

 white ; the sides strongly washed with the color of the 

 upper parts, and mottling of same across the lower part 

 of the breast. A large, distinct, shield-shaped black 

 area, on the breast. Tail-feathers, except the middle 

 pair, black, the outermost edged with whitish. Wing- 

 quills, except the innermost, plain fuscous, the outer 

 web of the 1st primary whitish. Lesser wing-covcrts 

 usually tipped with gi-ayish-white. Top of head like 

 nape; bar across front of vertex, thence extended along sides of crown, and produced into a 

 tuft or " horn, " black ; fi-ont and line over eye, also somewhat prodnced to form part of the 

 tuft, white or yellowish ; a broad bar from nostrils along the lores, thence curving below the 

 eye and \videning as it descends in front of the auriculars, black ; rest of the sides of the head 



Fig. 154. — Shore Lark, 

 nat. del. E. C.) 



nat. size, fAd 



