332 ALAUDIDiE. 



web black; lores, superciliuin, and sides of the head pale buff; 

 lower plumage fulvous white, rather darker on the breast and flanks ; 

 breast distinctly streaked with brown ; flanks indistinctly streaked ; 

 the cheeks frequently streaked with brown. 



The colours of the soft parts of this Lark do not appear to have 

 been recorded. 



Length about 6 ; tail 2-6 ; wing 4 ; tarsus -8 ; bill from gape 

 •5 ; bill from forehead to tip '4. 



Sharpe has quite properly bestowed a name on this hitherto 

 unnoticed and well-defined species, but in doing so he has selected 

 a Persian example as his type, a bird collected by Blanford at Niriz 

 in Persia. The Larks of this type found in India, although agree- 

 ing with this Persian bird in general size, structure, and coloration, 

 differ from it immensely in the size of the bill. The former have 

 the culmen measuring 4 and the latter -6. Having seen only one 

 Persian bird I do not wish to insist too much upon this difference 

 in size of bill, otherwise I should be disposed to keep the Indian 

 birds distinct. 



Distribution. The Punjab, extending west through Afghanistan 

 to Persia. This species is probably only a winter visitor to the 

 plains of the Punjab. 



Genus MIRAFRA, Horsf., 1821. 



The genus Mirafra contains the Bush-Larks, which are found 

 in well-wooded districts. They frequently perch on bushes and 

 low trees and they take short flights in the air. Their song is 

 pleasant but weak. 



In Mirafra the bill is thick and short and the nostrils are quite 

 exposed to view ; there are ten primaries in the wing, the first of 

 which is about a half or a third the length of the second ; the hind 

 claw is much longer than the hind toe and gently curved. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Inner web of outer tail-feather largely 



white M. cantilhns, p. 833. 



b. Inner web of outer tail-feather dark 



brown. 

 a'. Rufous on inner and outer webs of pri- 

 maries not reaching to shaft. 

 a". General tone of upper plumage ashy 



brown M. assamica, p. 334. 



b". General tone of upper plumage 

 rufous. 



a'". Wing 3-2 to 3-5 M. affinis, p. 335. 



b'". Wing 27 to 3 M. microptera, p. 336. 



b'. Rufous on inner and outer webs of pri- 

 maries reaching to shaft and confluent. M. erythroptera, p. 334. 



