334 SPRAGUE'S MISSOURI LARK. 



411 fill 



^ 1 S"> ° l 6 • 



Shores and prairies of the Upper Missouri, and probably found on all 

 streams of the Western Territories. 



Male. 



The upper parts are light greyish-olive, tinged with grey on the head and 

 shoulders. Wings and tail brown, edged with yellowish-olive. The lower 

 parts and sides of the neck tinged with yellow, which increases in depth on 

 the sides, including the inferior tail coverts. 



Bill along the ridge -f inch, along the gap ^, to end of tail 4\^ inches; 

 alar extent 6|-|-; wing from flexure 2i; tail If. Sides brown. Tarsus f 

 inch; middle toe |-, its claw rather more than ■§-; hind toe -J, its claw V*- 



Bill and feet bluish-grey, lower mandible paler. Third quill longest. 

 Female a trifle smaller, but resembling the male in every other respect. 



FAMILY XIV.*— ALAUDINiE. LARKS. 

 Genus I.f— ALAUDA, Linn. LARK. 



SPRAGUE'S MISSOURI LARK. 



" Alauda Spragtjeii. 



PLATE CCCCLXXXVL— Male. 



The first specimen of this truly interesting Lark, was procured by Mr. 

 Isaac Sprague, another of my companions, who shot it on the 19th of June, 

 1S43, near Fort Union, Upper Missouri. 



On several occasions my friend Edward Harris sought for these birds 

 on the ground, deceived by the sound of their music, appearing as if issuing 

 from the prairies which they constantly inhabit; and after having travelled 

 to many distant places on the prairie, we at last looked upwards, and there 

 saw several of these beautiful creatures singing in a continuous manner, and 

 soaring at such an elevation, as to render them more or less difficult to 



* See vol. iii. p. 43. t Ibid. p. 44. 



