64 
LARK BUNTING. 
so as to form a very sharp edge ; toes moderate, the first strong, the lateral 
equal ; claws rather long, slender, much compressed, laterally grooved, 
moderately arched, very acute. 
Plumage soft and blended, the feathers ovate. There are short bristles at 
the base of the upper mandible. Wings of moderate length ; the outer three 
quills nearly equal, the third longest, but exceeding the first only by one- 
twelfth of an inch, and the second by a quarter of a twelfth ; the fourth not 
much shorter, the rest slowly decreasing ; the outer secondaries emarginate, 
the inner tapering to a blunt point, one of them considerably elongated. 
Tail rather long, rounded. 
Bill reddish flesh colour, the upper mandible tinged with dusky. Feet 
and claws flesh-colour. On the upper part of the head are three longitudinal 
bands of white, separated by two of light red, the anterior part of which is 
black. The upper parts are light greyish-brown, longitudinally streaked 
with dusky, the central part of each feather being of the latter colour, the 
hind part of the back and the rump without streaks. On the wing are two 
faint bands of yellowish-white, formed by the tips of the first row of small 
coverts, and those of the primary coverts, and a patch of the same formed by 
the bases of the outer primaries ; the quills dusky brown, slightly margined 
with whitish, the inner secondaries with light red ; the tail darker, all the 
feathers excepting the middle terminated by white, which on the outer oc- 
cupies more than a third of its length, and extends nearly to the base of the 
outer web. Below the eye is a white streak ; the cheeks are light red, with 
an anterior black spot; under them a broad white band extends from the 
lower mandible and curves upwards, separated from the throat, which is 
white, by a short line of black on each side. The lower parts are yellowish- 
white, the lower part of the neck greyish, the sides tinged with greyish- 
brown, the lower wing-coverts greyish-white. 
Length to end of tail 65 inches ; extent of wings 8^ ; bill along the ridge 
T «i along the edge of lower mandible ^ ; wing from flexure 3 T 3 2 ; tail 3 ; 
tarsus — ; hind toe T 4 ^, its claw T 3 | ; middle toe T 7 ^, its claw T V 
