_Anthus_, BECHST. Gemein. Naturg. Deutschl. 1802. (Type, _Alauda
spinoletta_.)
[Line drawing: _Anthus ludovicianus._
328]
CHAR. Bill slender, much attenuated, and distinctly notched. A few
short bristles at the base. Culmen concave at the base. Tarsi quite
distinctly scutellate; longer than the middle toe; inner lateral toe
the longer. Hind toe rather shorter than the tarsus, but longer than
the middle toe, owing to the long, attenuated, and moderately curved
hind claw, which is considerably more than half the total length of
the toe. Tail rather long, emarginate. Wing very long, considerably
longer than the lengthened tail, reaching to its middle. The first
primary nearly equal to the longest. The tertials almost as long as
the primaries.
But one species of this genus belongs properly to North America,
although a second is accidental in Greenland and Alaska. The diagnoses
are as follows:—
Bill and feet blackish. Prevailing color above olive-brown.
Beneath buff. Edge and inside of wings white. Shafts of middle
tail-feathers above dark brown … _A. ludovicianus._
Bill and feet dusky flesh-color. Prevailing color above
olive-green; more distinctly streaked. Beneath greenish-white.
Edge and inside of wings greenish-yellow. Shafts of middle
tail-feathers above whitish … _A. pratensis._
ZANDER (Cabanis Journal, Extraheft I, 1853, 64) states that _Anthus
cervinus_, PALLAS, is found in the Aleutian Islands. It is described
as having
The feet yellowish-brown; the two longest under tail-coverts
with a blackish longitudinal spot; the longest tertial
almost equal to the longest primary; the shaft of the first
tail-feather mostly white; no green on the plumage; the
throat rust-color.
BALDAMUS (Naumannia, 1857, 202) says he has received _Anthus aquaticus_
and its eggs from Labrador. This statement, however, requires
verification.
Anthus ludovicianus, LICHT.