PRAIRIE LARK-FINCH. 197 



moderate length, a little rounded, the lateral feathers shorter than the longest 

 by two and a half twelfths. 



The bill is light blue, the upper mandible somewhat dusky along the 

 ridge; the feet and claws reddish-brown. The general colour of the plumage 

 is greyish-black, the rump blackish-grey. The quills are blackish-brown, 

 the inner secondaries black. There is a large patch of white on the wing 

 including some of the smaller coverts, the tips of the first row, and the 

 secondary coverts; the primaries and outer secondaries are narrowly, the 

 inner secondaries broadly margined with white, with which most of them 

 are also tipped. The middle tail-feathers are black, the rest brownish-black, 

 all narrowly edged with white, and having a narrow speck of the same at 

 the end of the inner web. Some of the feathers on the abdomen and the 

 lower tail-coverts are also tipped with white. 



Length to end of tail 7 inches; bill along the ridge -f|, along the edge of 

 lower mandible y 7 ^; wing from flexure 3 T ^-; tail 2 T j; tarsus y|; hind toe y|, 

 its claw yf ; middle toe j\, its claw j\. 



Adult Female. 



The female, which is smaller than the male, differs greatly in colour. The 

 bill is dusky above, pale beneath; the feet as in the male. The upper parts 

 are greyish-brown, streaked with dusky brown, the lower white, with 

 oblong spots of brownish-black, the abdomen nearly pure, the sides tinged 

 with reddish-brown. The quills are dark brown, edged and tipped with 

 reddish-white, and the patch on the wing is of the same tint. The tail 

 feathers are also dark brown, the outer externally edged, and all tipped with 

 white on the inner web. 



Length to end of tail 6j inches; bill along the ridge -£f ; wing from flexure 

 3^; tail 2^; tarsus j%; hind toe T %, its claw T ^; middle toe yf, its claw yf . 



Vol. III. 33 



