560 ALATJDID^. 



Bev. Crit. p. Ix (1844) ; Mkldeml Reis. Sibir., Zool. p. 133 (1851) ; 



Brce, B. Ear. iii. p. 192 (18U~) ; Fritsch, Voij. Eur. tab. xvi. 



tig-. 15 (1870) ; C'ordeaiu; Ibis, 1875, p. 181 ; Jloinei/er iS'- Tancre, 



MT. orn. Ver. Wien, 1883, p. 90 ; Seeb. Hist. Brit. B. ii. p. 282 



(1884). 

 Black Lark, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. pt. 2, p. 380 (1783). 

 Mutable Lark, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. pt. 2, p. 381 (1783). 

 Tauagra sibirica {nee Gm.), Sparrm. AIus. Carls, i. pi. I'J (178(5). 

 Alaucla mutabilis, Gni. Syst. Nat. i. p. 79(5 (1788). 

 Le Tracal, Levaill. Ois. iVAfr. iv. p. 119, pi. 191 (1805). 

 Alauda nigra, Stephens, in Shaw's Gen. Zool. xiv. p. 25 (18215). 

 Melauocorypha tartarica, Boie, Isis, 1828, p. 322 ; Bp. Comp. List U. 



Eur. Si- JV. Amer. p. 38 (1838) ; Keys. 8f Bias. Wirb. Eur. p. 153 



(1840) ; Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 381 (1844) ; Der/l. et Gerbe, Orn. Eur. 



i. p. 353 (1867) ; Gray, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 120, no. 7786 (1870) ; 



Severtz. Turkest. Jevotn. p. 67 (1873) ; Seeb. Ibis, 1882, p. 217, 



1883, p. 12; Badde, Orn. Cane. p. 203 (1884). 

 Saxilauda tartarica, Lesson, Conipl. Buff". Ois. ii. p. 125 (1837). 

 Melanocorypha yeltoniensis, Bp. Consp. i. p. 242 (1850) ; Dresser, B. 



Eur. iv. p. 377, pi. 241 (1871) ; id. Ibis, 187(5, p. 183; Giyl. Ibis, 



1881, p. 183; Salvad. Elench. Ucc. Ital. p. 157 (1886) ; Giyl. Amf. 



Ital. p. 57 (1886) ; id. Avif. Ital. 1st Resoc. p. 118 (1889). 

 Nigrilauda nigra, Bogdanoff, B. Cauc. p. 76 (1879). 



Adult male in summur plumage. Almost entirely black every- 

 where, witli obsolete sandy-buff fringes to a fe\Y feathers of the 

 back. But for those, scarcely perceptible, markings, and the some- 

 what paler brown tips to the quills, the plumage would be abso- 

 lutely black. Total length 7".5 inches, culmeu 0-75, wing 5-15, tail 

 2'85, tarsus 0*9. 



In winter plumage the male is blaclv, but the whole of the feathers 

 are obscured by broad edgings of sandy colour. By the wearing off 

 of these margins the full black plumage is attained. 



Adult female. Different from the male, and more resembling an 

 ordinary Calandra Lark. Ochreous brown, with dark centres to 

 the feathers, the crown mottled with black ; quills blackish, with 

 whity-brown edges, whiter on the primaries ; under surface of body 

 white, with a sandy-buff tinge on the throat ; the fore neck, breast, 

 and sides of body spotted with black, some of the markings rather 

 longitudinal, and even spear-shaped, the flanks especially streaked. 

 Total length 7 inches, culmen 0-65, wing 4-7, tail 2-5, tarsus 0-85. 



The males measure from 5-1 to 5-35 inches in the wing, the 

 females 4*7 inches. 



Young. Mottled like all young Larks, and especially resembling 

 a Shoi-e-Lark, but blackish on the head and back. 



JTah. Central Asia, ranging into Southern Kussia, and sometimes 

 even further westward. 



«. 5 ad. sk. Orenburg, Dec. Purchased. 



b. cJ ad. sk. Volga River, March 4. Tweeddale Coll. 



c. $ ad. slv. Volga River. Gould Coll. 



d. 9 ad. sk. River Or, "Western Siberia, Severtzoff Coll. 



Feb. 6. 



e. (S ad. sk. Salsa near Guiiev, Dec. 16. Severtzoff Coll. 



