GALEEITA. 



337 



Tel 



874. G-alerita cristata. The Crested Lark. 



Alauda cristata, Linn. Si/st. Nat. i, p. 288 (1766). 



Alauda choncloola, Frunkl. P. Z. S. 1831, p. 119. 



Galerida chendoola {Frunkl.), Blyth, Cat. p. 133. 



Galerida cristata {Linn.), llorsf. fy M. Cat. ii, p. 405; Jerd. />', I. ii, 



p. 430 ; Hume, N. $ E. p. 488; id. & F. i, p. 214; Butler, 8. F, 



vii, p. 185 ; Hume, Cat. no. 709 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 283 ; 



Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 020 ; Oates in Hume's N. Se E. 2nd ed. 



ii, p. 233. 

 Galerida magna, Hume, Lbis, 1871, p. 407 ; id. § Henders. Lah. to 



Yark. p. 270, pi. 30 ; Scully, S. F. iv, p. 175. 



The Large Crested Lark, Jerd. ; Chendul, Hind. ; Chendul, Jutu-pitta, 



■ I 



Fig. 96.- -Head of (x. cristata. 



Coloration. Upper plumage earthy brown, with blackish streaks 

 or centres to most of the feathers ; tail-feathers brown, with sandy 

 margins and tips, the penultimate feather with the greater portion 

 of the outer web pale rufous, the outermost all pale rufous except 

 the inner portion of the inner web, which is brown ; wing-coverts 

 and quills brown with sandy margins, the quills with a large patch 

 of rufous on the inner web ; lores brown ; supercilium pale ful- 

 vous ; ear-coverts pale fulvous white, mottled with brown ; entire 

 lower plumage pale fulvous with some brown spots on the cheeks 

 and numerous brown streaks on the breast ; the sides of the body 

 obsoletely streaked ; under wing-coverts and auxiliaries rufous. 



Bill yellowish; feet pale brown ; iris dark brown {Jerdon). 



Length about 7*5 ; tail about 2*7 ; wing 3'5to 4*3 ; tarsus 1*05; 

 bill from gape about *9. 



The Crested Lark varies as much as the Common Sky-Lark both 

 in size and colour, and it is as difficult in the case of the one as of 

 the other to subdivide it into two or more races. 



Distribution. The north-western portion of India, extending east 

 as far as the 85th degree of east longitude, and south as far gene- 

 rally as the 23rd degree of north latitude, but occasionally further 

 south in favourable localities, this species having been recorded from 

 Eaipur in the Central Provinces. Many Larks of this species are 

 resident and breed hi India, but the majority appear to migrate in 



TOL. II. Z 



