Genus CERTHILAUDA, Swains.

Gren. Cuan. Bill moderate, slender, curved. Nostrils roundish. Wings with first quill
extremely short or nearly spurious; second very long; third, fourth, and fifth nearly equal
and the longest. Taz/ rather short, even. Feet moderate; nail of the hind toe short

and straight.

BIFASCIATED LARK.

Certhilauda bifasciata.
Alauda bifasciata, Lecht

L Alouette bifasciée.

In the third part of his ‘ Manuel,’ M. Temminck describes this rare species of Lark as an occasional visitant
to the eastern and southern parts of Europe, it having been killed both in Sicily and Provence. It would
appear to be very common on the banks of the Nile, from whence we have received specimens, and it is also
plentiful in Abyssinia. It differs much in its structure from the members of the genus Alauda, and if we
mistake not, will rank with the bird characterized by Mr. Swainson under the name of Certhilauda, and as
such we have figured it. Taking the common Sky Lark of our island as the type of the genus auda, this
will be found to exhibit many points of difference, particularly in the elongated and curved form of the bill,
and in the comparative shortness of the toes and nails ; and although we have not been made acquainted with
its habits and manners, we feel confident that they differ considerably from those of the A/auda arvensis and
its immediate congeners, and that Mr. Swainson’s views in separating it into a distinct genus will be fully
substantiated.

Of its food and nidification nothing is known.

The sexes are alike in plumage and may be thus described :

The whole of the head, back of the neck, scapularies, and upper tail-coverts pale greyish brown ; wing-
coverts dark brown, margined with pale brown ; base and tips of the secondaries white, forming a double band
across the centre of the wing, the intermediate space dark brown, with pale brown edges ; primaries dark
brown ; tail-feathers dark brown, with the exterior web of the outer feather on each side, and the extreme
edge of the next, white; all the remainder edged with pale brown ; stripe before and behind the eye and one
from the angle of the mouth dark brown; throat, sides of the face, under part of the wings, and all the under
surface dull white ; the lower part of the throat and the breast ornamented with numerous oblong spots of
dark brown ; bill and feet yellowish.

We have figured an adult male of the natural size.

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