96 
ALAUDINiE. LARKS. 
slender, much compressed, laterally grooved, acute, that of 
the hind toe very long, straightish, tapering. Plumage ge- 
nerally soft and blended. Wings rather long, broad, the 
inner secondaries tapering, and one so elongated as nearly 
to equal the longest primary, when the wing is closed. Tail 
of twelve feathers, generally emarginate. Roof of the upper 
mandible concave, generally with three prominent lines ; 
tongue slender, thin, flat, tapering to a slit and bristly tip ; 
cESophagus of uniform width ; stomach a very strong mus- 
cular gizzard of a roundish form and compressed, its lateral 
muscles very large, its epithelium dense and rugous ; intes- 
tines short, of moderate width ; coeca very small, cylindri- 
cal. Nest on the ground. Eggs five or six, oval, spotted. 
GENUS I. ALAUDA, Linn. LARK. 
Bill rather short, stout, somewhat conical, compressed, 
straightish, acute ; upper mandible with the dorsal line 
slightly arched, the edges without notch, the tip acute ; 
lower mandible with the dorsal line ascending, slightly con- 
vex, the edges a little inflected, the tip acute. Head rather 
large ; neck short ; body ovate. Legs of ordinary length, 
anteriorly scutellate ; lateral toes nearly equal, hind toe of 
moderate size, with a very long, tapering, acute, and nearly 
straight claw. Plumage rather dense and compact. Wings 
of moderate length, the second and third quills longest ; 
inner secondaries much elongated. Tail of moderate length, 
emarginate. 
151. 1. Alauda alpestris, Linn. Shore Lark. — Horned 
Lark. 
Male with two erectile pointed tufts of feathers on the anterior la- 
teral parts of the head. In winter the upper parts dusky brown, the 
feathers paler on the edg’es ; on the forehead a recurved crescentic 
band of brownish-black ,* another curved downwards, proceeding on 
each side from the base of the upper mandible ; a band of yellowish- 
white over the eye and forehead ; throat pale-yellow, with a broad 
dusky patch on the lower neck, the rest of the lower parts brownish- 
