PRAIRIE LARK-FINCH. 197 
moderate length, a little rounded, the lateral feathers shorter than the 
longest by two and a half twelfths. 
The bill is light blue, the upper mandible somewhat dusky along the 
ridge; the feet and claws reddish-brown. The general colour of the plumage 
is greyish-black, the rump blackish-grey. The quills are blackish-brown, 
the inner secondaries black. There is a large patch of white on the wing, 
including some of the smaller coverts, the tips of the first row, and the 
secondary coverts ; the primaries and outer secondaries are narrowly, the 
inner secondaries broadly margined with white, with which most of them 
are also tipped. The middle tail-feathers are black, the rest brownish- 
black, all narrowly edged with white, and having a narrow speck of the 
same at the end of the inner web. Some of the feathers on the abdomen 
and the lower tail-coverts are also tipped with white. 
Length to end of tail 7 inches; bill along the ridge along the edge of 
lower mandible T v; wing from flexure 3 / 2 ; tail 2y%; tarsus "4; hind toe 
its claw f|-; middle toe T 8 2 , its claw 
Adult Female. 
The female, which is smaller than the male, differs greatly in colour. The 
bill is dusky above, pale beneath; the feet as in the male. The upper parts 
are greyish-brown, streaked with dusky brown, the lower white, with 
oblong spots of brownish-black, the abdomen nearly pure, the sides tinged 
with reddish-brown. The quills are dark brown, edged and tipped with 
reddish-white, and the patch on the wing is of the same tint. The tail 
feathers are also dark brown, the outer externally edged, and all tipped with 
white on the inner web. 
Length to end of tail 64 inches; bill along the ridge wing from flexure 
34; tail 2^; tarsus hind toe W, its claw W: middle toe its claw 
