6. OTOCORYS. 533 



Subsp. j3 Otocorys pallida. 



Otocorys penicillata {nee Gould), Severtz. J.f. 0. 1875, p. 191 ; Scully, 

 Str. F. 1876, p. 174 ; Dresser, Ibis, 1876, p. 181 : Severtz. Ibis, 

 1883, p. 61. 



Adult male. Similar to 0. penicillata, but very much paler, the 

 vinous tints being of a delicate lilac, the back washed with sandy 

 ochraceous and very narrowly streaked with blackish : " bill bluish 

 horny, blackish towards the tip, the lower mandible paler; feet 

 horny black ; iris brown" {F. StoUczka). Total length 6-S-7-3 inches, 

 culmen 0-6, wing 4'5-l-8, tail 2-95-3-25, tarsus 9. 



ffab. Central Asia. 



a. Ad. sk. Yarkand {Col. CJiapmaii). E. B. Sharpe, Esq. 



[P.]. 



b, c. Ad. sk. larkand {J. Biddnlph). Hume Coll. 



d, e. Ad. sk. Karghalik, Oct. 21. Rev. Dr. Lansdell 



[P.]. 



/. c? ad. sk. Karghalik, Nov. 5 ( J". ^/(Z^m;/)/)). Hume Coll. 



g-m. Ad. sk. Kashgar {Dr. Bellew). India Museum [P.I. 



n,o.<S2 ^'^- sk. Kashgar, Dec. {J. Biddulph). Seebohra Coll. 



p,q-6 9- ^'^- sk. Kashgar, Oct. 23 {J. Smlly). Hume Coll. 



r. S ad. ; s, t. Turkestan, Sept. Oct. Dr. Severtzoff [C.]. 



S $ juv. sk. 



u. cS; V, w. 5 Ferghana, Oct., Nov. Dr. Severtzoff [C.]. 



ad. sk. 



Otocorys elwesi and its allies. 



Elwes's Horned Lark is easily distinguished from 0. penicillata 

 by the white space which separates the black of the fore neck from 

 the black of the ear-coverts. Care must be taken in searching for 

 this character, as in many badly-preserved skins the white inter- 

 space is not distinctly traceable, if the feathers of the neck should 

 happen to be forced up on the throat. 



0. elwesi was described by Mr. Blanford from Sikhim, and I have 

 examined a large series from this country in the Hume collection. 

 Unfortunately they are prepared by Mr. Mandelli's collectors, and 

 though good skins, they are none of them provided with particulars 

 of sex. This is a very important matter in Larks, where the males 

 are so much bigger, as a rule, than the females. Fortunately, iu 

 the Horned Larks the absence of black across the forehead enables 

 us to tell the females from the males. 



Mr. Seebohm iu the ' Ibis ' for 1884 (I. c.) has shown that the 

 three races 0. longirosfris, 0. elwesi, and 0. hrandti, run one into 

 each other, and that it is difficult to draw the line between them. 

 This is quite true ; but arguing from an examination of a large 

 series, I think that three races can be recognized with a tolerably 

 well-defined range to each; though I admit that the connecting- 

 links between them may be found. 



