ALAUDINJE. 
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the less conical bill, and peculiar form of the feet. 
By far the greater numbers live entirely on the 
ground, run swiftly, feed on grains, bask in the 
sun, and among the dust, and exhibit in their 
manners a great resemblance to the rasorial birds. 
Their flight is powerful, and capable of being 
long sustained, and the song is often melodious, 
and of considerable compass.* In the British 
list, we can only rank a single genus, the True 
Larks, which Mr Swainson considers as the 
Fissirostral type of the family. 
Alauda, Linn. — Generic characters. — Bill 
sub-conic, nearly cylindrical, nostrils con- 
cealed; wings long, with the spurious quill 
very short, the three next nearly of equal 
length ; tertials lengthened ; feet with the 
claws slightly curved, that of the hinder toe 
long, and nearly straight. 
Europe, America. 
Type. — A. arvensis. Habits terrestrial. 
’ The Alauda calandra, according to Colonel Sykes’ 
late observations, is a delightful singing bird Proceed. 
of Zool. Soe. 
