LARKS. 



59 



FAMILY OF CONIROSTRES. 



52. All the birds of this family have a strong beak, more or 

 less conical, and without a notch, {Plate '^.fig. 9.): they live on 

 grains, more exclusively in proportion to the strength and thick- 

 ness of their beak. The principal genera of this family are ; 

 the Larks, the Titmice, the Buntings, the Sparrows, the Cross- 

 bills, the Crows, and Birds of Paradise, which may be distin- 

 guished bv the following characters : 



(Genera.) 

 Straight, strong, and longer than that of the other toes, ^Lark. 



" Very slender, and fur- "] 

 nished with hairs at the ^Titmouse- 

 base. J 



^"5 



l1 



Of ordinary 

 size. Beak 



Short, 



straight and < 



conical. 



Pretty strong, and fur- ") 

 nished inside with a hard ( -n 



tubercle, fixed to the j- Hunting. 

 palate. J 



Strong, and more or "^ 

 less thick at the base ; up- J> Sparrow, 

 per mandible inflated. J 



Compressed, and the mandibles cross- ) „ 

 ing each other, ^Crossbill, 



Stiff 1 



feathers, direc- J. Crow. 



Very strong, and 



more or less flattened 



on the sides ; nostrils 



covered by 



ted forwards. J 



Feathers, 

 which resem- 

 ble velvet. 



}Bird of 

 Paradise, 



53. The Larks, — Alauda, — have a straight, short beak, in 

 the form of an extended cone, (Plate 4, Jig. 4); their head is 

 small, round, and furnished with feathers on top, which are more 

 or less erectile ; their tail is of moderate length, and almost 

 always forked ; their nostrils are covered by small feathers which 

 are directed forwards ; the posterior nail is straight, strong, and 

 much longer than that of any of the other toes. The conformation 

 of their nails does not permit these birds generally to alight on 

 trees, but it is useful to them when they run over newly ploughed 



52. How are the Conirostres characterised ? Upon what do they feed ? 

 What are the principal genera composing this family ? 



53. What are the characters of the Larks ? What are their habits? 



