124 ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF per mY 
destes, the cornfinches. The fifth:type is probabil yr 
presented by the Fring. Iliaca of Wilson. (pl. 22.f.4 
The discovery of a most singular bird from the interior of 
Brazil, having the general structure of Ammodramus, 
but with the bill of Emberyza, establishes the passage 
from the chaffinches to the buntings: this subgenus we 
have named Leptonyx. We long suspected that the 
buntings of Asia and Africa formed a distinct group from — 
those of Europe; and we have now separated them, 
under the name of F'ringillaria. Of Plectrophanes, there 
are only three or four species, the most beautiful of which — 
is that which has been figured* under the name of P.picta; 
while the best known is the snow bunting of Ameriea 
and Europe. We have recently procured a specimen 
of a very curious African bird, termed a Ploceus, by | 
Dr. Riippell, but which evidently belongs to this su 
family: its characters, however, particularly in the bill, 
will not permit its being associated with any known 
genus ; and, as it seems intermediate between Plectro- 
phanes and Pyrgita, we have, for the present, so placed 
it in our arrangement, under the generic name of 
Agrophilus. ; 
(137.) The A.aupina, or larks, are clearly united to 
the ground finches by the genus Plectrophanes, which 
has the bill of Emberyza united to that structure of 
foot so peculiar to the birds composing the present group. 
The form, indeed, of the larks is so peculiar as.to prevent) 
their being confounded with any of the conterminous: 
groups. The bill is still conic, but it is conspicuously 
_ lengthened andslender ; while the legs, exclusively formed 
for walking, have the claws uncommonly straight and 
lengthened, more especially the hinder one. Four of the 
subgenera are strikingly characterised ; but the fifth, or that 
which leads immediately to Plectrophanes, is still undeter= 
mined ; very probably it is the genus Alauda, represented 
by the common skylark, where the wings are pointed and 
the tail forked ; but in Calendula both these members are 
rounded. The crescent larks of Africa are distinguished 
* North, Zool. ii. pl. 49. s 9 
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