422 
PERCHING BIRDS. 
Another genus (Ammomanes) belonging to the group with ten 
The me 1 ar s. - mar j es ^} 1C w i n g S i s formed by the finch-larks, of which the 
African finch - lark (A. deserti) is represented in the left-hand figure below, 
while other species inhabit India. Having the first primary long, as in the pre¬ 
ceding genus, these larks are specially distinguished by the thick beak being much 
shorter than the head, and the nostrils concealed by plumelets. They inhabit 
THE AFRICAN FINCH-LARK AND DESERT-LARK (J nat. size). 
open arid plains, from which they rise singing in the air for a short distance, and 
then suddenly drop. 
There are several other genera of the group, such as the Asiatic bush larks 
( Mirafra ), which may be distinguished from the finch-larks by the open nostrils. 
The Short-Toed The short-toed larks, genus Calandrella, are inferior in size to 
Larks. most of the family, and have the bill short and stout, with the upper 
mandible arched; while there are only nine primaries in the wing, of which 
the first is long and reaches to the tip; the inner secondaries being lengthened 
and reaching to the end of the primaries, or nearly so; and the tail being rather 
long and slightly forked. The claws are slightly curved and very short. Five 
species of short-toed larks inhabit Europe and Northern Asia, and three others 
are found in India. 
The European short-toed lark (C. bracttydactyla) is a common species in 
Southern Spain, and is one of the most characteristic of birds of' Malta during 
