Genus ALAUDA, Linn.
G en . C h a r . B ill subconic, short, the mandibles o f equal length, the upper one slightly
convex. N o s tr ils basal, lateral, oval, partly concealed b y small reflected feathers. Feet.
three toes before, and one b ehind; the anterior ones entirely divided; the claw o f the
hind one lon g and nearly straight. Wings, the first quill v ery short, or wanting, the third
the lo n g e st; tertials in most instances shorter than the quills. Coronal feathers generally
produced, and capable o f b eing erected.
B L A C K A N D W H I T E LA RK.
Alauda Tartarica, P a ll.
L’Alouette Nègre.
The Alauda Tartarica is a native o f 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 o f European Russia, where it dwells in small companies
; hence it is necessary to include it in the fauna o f 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 o f winter its clothing is remarkably thick and warm ; the feathers, which are then
elongated, are encircled with a band o f light tawny grey, and falling closely over each other, conceal the
black colouring of the base o f each feather. On the approach o f summer a decomposition takes place in the
lighter portions of the feathers, which gradually break off, and leave the bird in the height o f summer of a jet
black, which style o f 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 somewhat
less deep, and in her being rather smaller in size than her mate.
We cannot examine this and the following species, Alauda Calandra, without being fully impressed with the
propriety o f separating them into a new genus, distinct from Alauda, which genus is typically represented by
Arvensis ; but having already figured one species which according to our ideas would range in this division
under the name of Alauda brac/iydactyla, we have considered it best, in these instances also, to retain the
old generic title Alauda.
After what has been said above we conceive any further description o f the plumage will be unnecessary :
the beak is yellowish buff at the base and black at the tip ; the feet and legs are black.
The figures are of the natural size.