PRAIRIE LARK-FINCH. 195 



broad, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the back broad, the 

 sides rounded, the edges inflected, the tip pointed. Nostrils basal, roundish. 

 Head large, ovate; neck short; body full. Feet of moderate length, stout; 

 tarsus of ordinary length, compressed, with seven scutella; toes rather large, 

 the first stouter, the lateral equal, the third very long. Claws rather long, 

 arched, much compressed, laterally grooved, tapering to a very acute point. 

 Plumage soft and blended. Bristles at the base of upper mandible feeble. 

 Wings of moderate length, the outer three quills nearly equal, the second 

 longest, the fourth slightly shorter than the third; outer secondaries broadly 

 rounded and emarginate; inner tapering to a rounded point, one of them, 

 when the wing is closed, little shorter than the outer primaries. Tail of 

 moderate length, a little rounded. Name from KoguJkxos, a lark. 



PRAIRIE LARK-FINCH. 



' CORYDALINA BICOLOR, ToWUS. 



PLATE CCIL— Male and Female. 



This species, of which there are in my possession several specimens, pre- 

 sented to me by my friend Mr. Nitttall, was discovered by that zealous 

 naturalist and his companion Mr. Townsend on the plains of the Platte, 

 and briefly characterized in the Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences 

 of Philadelphia. From its general appearance, and especially from what is 

 known of its habits, I consider it closely allied to the Rice Bunting, 

 Dolichonyx oryzivora; I have adopted the appellation given by its dis- 

 coverers, the latter of whom has favoured me with the following notice 

 respecting it. 



"The Prairie Finch inhabits a portion of the Platte country, in large 

 flocks. It is strictly gregarious, and feeds upon the ground, along which it 

 runs like the Grass Finch, Fringilla graminea, to which it is somewhat 

 allied. As the large flocks, consisting of from sixty to a hundred individuals, 

 were started from the ground by our caravan in passing, the piebald appear- 

 ance of the males and females promiscuously intermingled, presented a 

 curious, but by no means unpleasing, effect. While the flock is engaged in 

 feeding, the males are frequently observed to rise suddenly to a considerable 



