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THE SHORB-LAEK. 
The Short-toed Lark, A. hrachydactyla, is a small species, five inches long, of a sandy-brown 
above, beneath whitish; common in Southern Europe. The Shore-Lark, A. alpestris, is six 
inches long, and found in the north of Europe and Asia. Specimens have been occasionally met 
with as far south as France and England. 
The Horned Lark, A. cornuta., is an American bird, until lately confounded with the prece- 
ding ; it is seven inches long ; the male has an erectile crest ; color, dusky brown above ; breast 
reddish-brown; the nest placed on the ground; the eggs olive- white. This is a beautiful spe- 
cies, and one of our winter birds of passage, arriving from the north in the fall, usually staying 
with us the whole winter, frequenting sandy plains and open downs, and is numerous in the 
Southern States, as far as Georgia, during that season. They fly high, in loose, scattered flocks, 
and at these times have a single cry, like the sky-lark. They are very numerous in many tracts 
of New Jersey, and are frequently brought to Philadelphia market. They are then generally very 
fat, and are considered excellent eating. Their food seems principally to consist of small, round, 
compressed black seeds, buckwheat, oats, &c., with a large proportion of gravel. They are said 
to have a pleasing song. 
Other American species are the Brown Lark, A. rufa, six inches long ; brown-olive above ; 
brownish-ochre beneath ; habits similar to the preceding ; the ^4. minor, found in Texas ; and 
the A. Spraguei, found on the upper Missouri. 
THE BULL-FINCH. 
THE PTRRHULIN^ OR BULL-FINCHES. 
These birds greatly resemble the grosbeaks in some respects, and especially i-n the size and 
