PYRRHULAUDA AUSTRALIS. 
middle one longer than either by the last joint ; hinder toe shorter than the 
shortest of the anterior ones, the claws nearly straight, that of the hinder toe 
longer and stronger than any of the others. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Inches. Lines. 
Length from the point of the bill to 
the tip of the tail 5 0 
of the bill 0 5 
of the wings when folded 3 2 
of the tail 2 2 
Inches. Lines. 
Length of the tarsus 0 7 \ 
the outer toe 0 2f 
the middle toe 0 
the hinder toe... 0 2^ 
the hinder toe and claw... 0 Lj 
Female . — Above dull rufous streaked with umber-brown, particularly on the 
head and neck ; beneath rusty white, the breast mottled with umber-brown 
stripes ; eye-brows white ; ear coverts brown ; the outer vanes of the two 
lateral tail feathers, together with a portion of the inner vane of the outer- 
most adjoining the shaft, and the tips of both cream-yellow. The young bird 
exhibits nearly the same colours as the female, only most of the feathers of 
the upper parts are margined with dull rusty white, and the brown stripes on 
the breast are less defined. 
In the year 1829, when I proposed to institute a new ornithological group under the title of 
Pyrrhulauda, I was only acquainted with one bird (the present), which I regarded as possessing 
typical characters. Since that period I have had opportunities of studying three other species, 
— two of South Africa and one of India, — all of which go to confirm the propriety of the division 
proposed. The figure of these birds and a few of their habits assimilate them to the Fringillincc , 
while the majority of their habits, together with several points in the structure of individual 
parts, and the disposition of some of their colours, indicate their closer approximation to 
Alaudincc. Temminck, by looking to their form, has classed them as Finches, while on the 
other hand Lafresnaye,* by regarding the structure, &c. of individual parts, has maintained 
their place to be with the Larks, in which view he is supported by Lichtenstein, who esteems 
them as Larks, and closely allied to Callendulle, Mirafra and L’Alouette ba. clause of Levaillant. 
If it be a law of nature that every principal group shall consist of a series of subordinate 
ones, each of which shall have its representative in some other principal groups, then we may 
view Pyrrhulauda as the group of Fringillincc, representing one of those of Alaudincc ; but 
on the contrary, if such be not a law, then we must concur with the last-named authors in 
placing Pyrrhulauda as a group of Alaudincc. 
The present species is gregarious, and flocks of several hundred individuals are often seen 
upon the plains bordering the Orange River. It rises into the air, and after soaring for a time, 
descends again like the larks, and like them also it builds its nest upon the ground, under the 
shelter of a tuft of grass or some dwarf shrub. For more of its habits, see remarks to the 
other species. 
* Magazin de Zoologie, par Guerin, 1833. 
