Genus ALAUDA, Linn.

Gen. Cuan. Belv subconic, short, the mandibles of equal length, the upper one slightly
convex. Nostrils basal, lateral, oval, partly concealed by small reflected feathers. Feet,
three toes before, and one behind ; the anterior ones entirely divided; the claw of the
hind one long and nearly straight. Wings, the first quill very short, or wanting, the third
the longest ; tertials in most instances shorter than the quills. Coronal feathers generally

produced, and capable of bemg erected.

BLACK AND WHITE LARK.

Alauda ‘Tartarica, Padl/.

L’Alouette Neégre.

Tur Alauda Tartarica is a native of the high northern regions of the old continent, where it enjoys a most
extensive habitat, being dispersed, as we have every reason to believe, over the whole of Siberia, Northern
Russia, Lapland, &c., and from whence it performs periodical migrations into more temperate climes. _ It
spreads in autumn, says M. Temminck, over the provinces of European Russia, where it dwells in small com-
panies ; hence it is necessary to include it in the fauna of Europe. Like Plectrophanes nivalis and Lapponica
it is subject to very considerable and contrasted changes in the colouring of its plumage at opposite seasons :
during the rigorous months of winter its clothing is remarkably thick and warm ; the feathers, which are then
elongated, are encircled with a band of light tawny grey, and falling closely over each other, conceal the
black colouring of the base of each feather. On the approach of summer a decomposition takes place in the
lighter portions of the feathers, which gradually break off, and leave the bird in the height of summer of a jet
black, which style of dress continues until the autumn, when a moult takes place, and the bird again assumes
its usual winter clothing. The lower figure in our Plate represents the bird in the winter dress, while the
upper illustrates the nearly completed plumage of summer, when, as will be readily perceived, many of the
feathers possess the remains of the winter plumage.

The Alauda Tartarica is a bird of great rarity in the collections of Europe; and independent of our own
specimen, which we received from Paris, we know of no other example in England.

The only difference in the outward appearance of the sexes consists in the hues of the female being some-
what less deep, and in her being rather smaller in size than her mate.

We cannot examine this and the following species, 4/auda Calandra, without being fully impressed with the
propriety of separating them into a new genus, distinct from A/auda, which genus is typically represented by

A rvensis ; but having already figured one species which according to our ideas would range in this divi-

sion under the name of Alauda brachydactyla, we have considered it best, in these instances also, to retain the
old generic title d/auda.

After what has been said above we conceive any further description of the plumage will be unnecessary :
the beak is yellowish buff at the base and black at the tip; the fect and legs are black.

The figures are of the natural size.

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