22 alaudid*:. 



any mention of the genus Alauda in Lis list of the birds 

 of Japan : it is found, however, as far towards the east as 

 the western borders of the Black Sea. 



The entire length of the Skylark is seven inches and three 

 quarters. The wing, from the carpus to the tip, measures four 

 inches four lines : the first quill-feather is so short as to be 

 easily overlooked, as it measures not more than three lines ; 

 the second is nearly as long as the third and fourth, which are 

 the longest in the wing. The outer tail-feathers measure 

 two inches eleven lines, and extend an inch and a quarter 

 beyond the closed wings. All the feathers of the tail and 

 wings are very broad, and the entire body of the bird is 

 covered with a great number of close-set feathers, which, 

 being mostly darkest down the shaft, give the plumage a 

 tessellated appearance. The tail is forked, and the central 

 pair of feathers two or three lines shorter than the outer. 

 The tarsus measures eleven lines, the middle toe ten, and 

 the hinder toe and claw one inch one line, of which the claw 

 occupies nine lines : the entire expanse of the foot is one 

 inch ten lines. 



The upper plumage of the Skylark consists of several 

 shades of brown, the darkest occupying the shafts of the 

 feathers, and the lightest, which in some parts approach to 

 greyish-white, being disposed- upon the edges. The wing- 

 feathers are of the same colours ; the tertials are bordered 

 with rufous-brown ; the secondaries tipped with white, which 

 forms a fringe to that part of the wing, very conspicuous 

 in flight. The ear-coverts are rich yellowish-brown, streaked 

 along the shaft with a darker shade ; the chin, and the collar 

 that passes beneath the ear-coverts, are plain yellowish -white ; 

 the rest of the breast rufous-yellow, with rich brown trian- 

 gular marks upon the shafts of the feathers ; the flanks are 

 of the same rufous-yellow, with brown shaft-streaks ; the 

 middle of the belly and under-coverts of the tail white, 



