ALAUDINA.., a sub-family of birds belonging to the order Passerincr, and the family Conerostres, is thus characterised by Mr. Swainson :— Bill more lengthened than in any of the ; the tip entire or obsoletely notched. Tertial quills considerably lengthened, pointed, and generally as long as the quills. Claws very slightly curved ; the claw of the outer toe always shorter than that of the inner toe ; the hinder claw considerably lengthened, and either neatly straight or very slightly curved.
(Linn.) Bill cylindrical ; nostrils concealed. Wings very long ; no spurious quill ; the first, second, and third quills longest, and nearly equal ; the rest considerably graduated; tips of the lesser quills emarginate. Tail forked. Head created. (Sw.) The Larks are characterised by their having the hind-claw, which is like the fore-claws, somewhat straight, and longer than in the pipits and the wag-tails. The bill is straight, and rather short and strong, the tapper mandible being arched without any notch, and not longer than the under. The nostrils, situated at the base of the bill, are oblong, and protected by small plumes and bristles directed forwards. The feathers on the back part of the head can be raised up at the will of the bird into the form of a crest.
Various species of larks are found in all parts of the globe, and are everywhere distinguished by their vigilance and their singing. They are peculiarly birds of the fields, meadows, and other open places. The conformation of their feet, except in a few instances, such as the wood lark, does not adapt them to perch upon trees. They accordingly always build on the ground, making in general a rather slight though neat nest, and laying about five eggs, usually of a grayish white, with specks of a brown colour. They frequently rear two broods of young during the summer.
They are almost all birds of passage ; for even in Britain, where some remain during the winter, the greater number flock together and migrate, either southward or to the sea-coast. During these migra tions immense uumbers of them are caught in nets for the table, parti cularly on the continent, where small birds are more sought after for this purpose than in Britain.
Localities.—Europe and America.
Mr. Swainson considers this as the Fissirostral type.
Example :—Alauda arvensis. This is the Alouette, Alouette Ordi naire, and Alou3ttc des Champs of the French ; Lodola Canterina, Lodola di Passo, and Lodola di Montayna of the Italians ; Feld Lerche of the Germans ; Hedycld and Uchedydd of the ancient British ; and Skylark (in Scotch Lavrock) of the modern British.
The Skylark is too well known, from its inexpressibly beautiful song, chanted forth far up in the air when at liberty and in its natural state, to require any description.
Food—Insects and their larvm, with many sorts of seeds and grain. Nest.—On the ground. Eggs four or five, greenish white, spotted with brown.
Localities.—All the parts of Europe ; also in Asia and the northern parts of Africa, but not in the south of that vast continent (Temm.); the whole of Europe within the temperate zone, many parts of Asia, and the north of Africa. (Selby.)
Calendula. (Lim].) Bill thick, much compressed; the culmen curved and convex ; the commissure arched ; the tip of the upper mandible wide above and inflexed. Wings long or moderate ; the first quill very small and spurious; the second nearly equal to the third and fourth ; lesser quills short, em•uginate. Tail slightly forked. Lateral toes equal. Africa. The Dentirostral type—C magnirostris, ()is. d'Afr.,' pl. 193. (Sw.) Sub-genera :—Myrafra, Horaf.—Bill as in Calendula. Wings short, rounded ; greater quills hardly longer than the secondaries and tertials ; the first quills spurious, half the length of the second, which is shorter than the third ; the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth equal, and longest. Tail short, even. Legs long.—M. Javanica, ' Linn. Tr.,' xiii. 159. (Sw.) Braconyx, Sw. (Brachonyx).—Bill as in Calendula. Hinder claw very short. Wings and tarsi much lengthened. Africa (Sw.) Ayrodroma. (Sw.) Bill slender, considerably compressed ; both mandibles of equa length ; the tip of the upper one not reflected over the lower, and with a small notch, almost obsolete. Wings long ; the first four quills nearly equal ; the rest rapidly diminishing, and emarginate at their tips ; tertials lengthened, pointed, as long as the quills. Tail moderate, even. Legs pale, long, slender. Tarsus longer than the middle toe. Lateral toes equal, but the outer claw shorter than the inner. Colour brown, lark-like. Distribution universal. The Insessorial or pre eminent type—Agrodroma refescens, Enl.,' 661, L (Sw.) Macronyx. (Sw.) Bill slender, compressed, thrush-like, eutire ; nostrils large, naked, the aperture lateral. Wings short ; the primaries not longer than the tertials, the first four of equal length ; secondaries long, emarginatc. Tail moderate, even. Feet enormous. Tarsus and hinder toes very long, and of equal length. Lateral toes unequal, the inner shortest Africa. The Rasorial type—M. fiarieullia, Ois. d'Afr.,' pl. 195 ; 31. Sw., 'Birds of West Africa,' (` Naturalists' Library,' Orni thology, vol vii., p. 215.) Certhilauda. (Sw.) Bill slender, lengthened, more or less curved ; nostrils round, naked. Wings very long; the first quill spurious ; the three next nearly equaL Tail moderate, even. Feet lengthened ; the lateral toes equal ; length of the hinder claw variable, although typically short and straight. Africa. The Tenuirostral type—Certhilauda longirostra, Ois. d'Afr.,' 192 ; C. bifasciata, Rupp., ' Atlas,' plate 5; a nivosa, Sw., ' Birds of West Africa' (vol. vii., p. 215.) Such are Mr. Slaaainson's views as to the arrangement of this sub genus. [FRING1LLID/E.] The genus Anthrax, Bechst., is placed by Mr. Swainson at the end of his sub-family Motacillince (Wagtails), under his family Sylviadce (Warblers).
• Fossil Larks.
Dr. Buckland figures a lark (Alauda) among the land Mammifers and Birds of the third period of the Tertiary Series, in the first plate of the illustrations of his ' Bridgewater Treatise.' He had previously noticed the remains of the lark in Kirkdale Cave. (` Reliquim Dilu viame,' pp. 15, 34, plate xi., ff. 24, 25.)