64 LARK BUNTING. 



as to form a very sharp edge; toes moderate, the first strong, the lateral 

 equal; claws rather long, slender, much compressed, laterally grooved, 

 moderately arched, very acute. 



Plumage soft and blended, the feathers ovate. There are short bristles at 

 the base of the upper mandible. Wings of moderate length; the outer three 

 quills nearly equal, the third longest, but exceeding the first only by one- 

 twelfth of an inch, and the second by a quarter of a twelfth; the fourth not 

 much shorter, the rest slowly decreasing; the outer secondaries emarginate, 

 the inner tapering to a blunt point, one of them considerably elongated. 

 Tail rather long, rounded. 



Bill reddish flesh-colour, the upper mandible tinged with dusky. Feet 

 and claws flesh-colour. On the upper part of the head are three longitudinal 

 bands of white, separated by two of light red, the anterior part of which is 

 black. The upper parts are light greyish-brown, longitudinally streaked 

 with dusky, the central part of each feather being of the latter colour, the 

 hind part of the back and the rump without streaks. On the wing are two 

 faint bands of yellowish-white, formed by the tips of the first row of small 

 coverts, and those of the primary coverts, and a patch of the same formed by 

 the bases of the outer primaries; the quills dusky brown, slightly margined 

 with whitish, the inner secondaries with light red; the tail darker, all the 

 feathers excepting the middle terminated by white, which on the outer oc- 

 cupies more than a third of its length, and extends nearly to the base of the 

 outer web. Below the eye is a white streak; the cheeks are light red, with 

 an anterior black spot; under them a broad white band extends from the 

 lower mandible and curves upwards, separated from the throat, which is white, 

 by a short line of black on each side. The lower parts are yellowish-white, 

 the lower part of the neck greyish, the sides tinged with greyish-brown, the 

 lower wing-coverts greyish-white. 



Length to end of tail 6h inches; extent of wings Si; bill along the ridge 

 f|, along the edge of lower mandible T 7 ? ; wing from flexure 3 r V, tail 3; tar- 

 sus y^; hind toe yf, ils claw ff ; middle toe ff , its claw -j%. 



