Order II. PASSERES.
Tribe IV. Conibostres.
Family IV. Frixoillid.p..
The sixth Subfamily,
ALAUDIN/E, or Larks,
have the Bill short, or more or less lengthened and conical ; the Wings with the tertials generally as
long as the primaries ; the Claws lengthened, more or less curved, and the hind one very long and
generally straight.
Alauda.*
Bill moderate, conical, with the culraen slightly arched to the tip, and compressed on the sides ; the
nostrils basal, lateral, oval, and hidden by the frontal plumes. Wings lengthened, with or without a
short spurious quill, and with the third quill generally the longest. Tail moderate and slightly emar-
ginated. Tarsi rather longer than the middle toe, and slender. Toes moderate and divided ; and the
hind claw lengthened, and more or less straight.
These birds are peculiar to the Old World, and generally found on the open arable land or plains, though some
seem to prefer the cultivated lands. As the winter approaches in the northern parts of Europe, they congregate in
flocks, and resort to the southern portions. Some of the species sing while rising into the air, which action is performed
either in extended circles, or in a perpendicularly spiral direction, to an immense height. Their flight is undulating ;
and they walk and run with ease on the ground, where they delight to roll in the dust. Grain and various small seeds
form their principal food, but in the summer they procure grasshoppers, gnats, and small worms, &c. The nest is
usually placed on the ground, among herbage ; and consists of dry grasses and other portions of plants, lined with soft
materials.
1. A. arvensis Linn. PI. enl. 363. f. 1. — Alauda coelipeta Pall. ;
Al. italica Gmel. ; Al. longipes Lath. ; AL Gulgula Frank-/. ; Al.
Deva Sykes ?
2. A. hrarhydactyla Temm. Man. d'Orn. 1. 284. — Alauda Ca-
landrella Bonelti ; Al. arenana Steph. Vieill. Faun. Franc, t. 74. f- l.j
Exped. de la More'e, Ois. t. 6. f. 1. ; Al. Pispoletta PalL ? Emberiza
Bagheira Frank/. Proc. Z. S. 1832. 11 g.; Al. dukhunensis Sykes;
Type of Calandrella Kaup (1829).
3. A. KoByi Temm. PL col. 305. f. 1 .
4. A. gangetica Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1842. p. 201. —
Alauda Gulgula Blyth.
5. ? A. gracilix Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1842. 201.
6. A. rufieepa Riipp. Faun. Abyss, t. 38. f. 1.
7. A. ? leucoptera (Pall.) Zoogr. 11. 518. t. 33. f. 2. — Alauda
sibirica Gmel.
8. A. eristata Linn. PI. enl. 503. f. 1. — Alauda galerita PallS;
Al. undata Gmel. PI. enl. 662. ; Al. matutina Bodd. ; Al. Chendoola
Frank/. ; Al. Gulgula Sykes; Type of Galerida Bote (1828).
9- A. malabarica Scop. Sonn. Voy. Ind. t. 113. f. 1.
10. A. ferruginea Von der Mulhe, Beitr. zur Orn. Griechenl.
11. A. arborea Linn. PI. enl. 503. f. 2. — Alauda nemnrosa
Gmel. ; Al. cristatella Lath.
12. A. crassirostris (Vieill.) X. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. 1.373., Le
VailL Ois. d'Afr. t. 193. — Alauda magnirostris Steph.; Type of
Calendula Swains. (1837).
13. A. senega/en sis Gmel. PI. enl. 504. f. 1.
Melaxocorypha Boie.\
Bill moderate, with the culmen elevated at the base and arched to the tip, the sides much compressed,
and the lateral margins inflexed ; the gonys of lower mandible lengthened, and advancing upwards ;

• Linnieus established this genus in 1735. It embraces Galerida of M. Boie (Isis) 1828, which is coequal with Lullu/a and Calandrella
  

of M. Kaup (1829), and Calendula of Mr. Swainson (1837), which latter was changed to Erana by me in 1840 ; also Heterops of Mr.
Hodgson (List of A'epaul Birds, 1844).
t It was in 1828 (/.«).) that M. Boie established this genus, which is coequal with Catandra and Saxilauda of M. Lesson (1837), and