134 Ncsti)ig of the JJliitc-chcckcd finch-lMrk. 



I cannot say whether tlie e^.u^'s liad been incubated or not 

 when found on May 6th, l)ut ten days later one e,u:i^ hatched out, 

 the other havini^ disappeared. 



The newly hatched chick was dark chocolate in colour. 

 It grew very fast and at three days old its body and wings were 

 outlined in a buff-coloured fluff. WHien a week old it began to 

 feather, and on the twelfth day it made its exit from the nest , 

 being then fully feathered, except that its tail and flight feathers 

 were not fully grown. In colour it was a dark chocolate, very 

 evenly barred wMth a lighter l^rown. For two or three days I 

 saw it no more, but on June ist f caught sight of it in the 

 potato patch — I am growing potatoes in some of my aviaries — 

 it ran very swiftly and took cover under a potato leaf, just like 

 a young partridge. 



Both parents took part in the duties of incubation; the 

 cock bird by day and the hen by night. They also divided the 

 duties for catering for their little one, which was fed, so far as 

 I could see. entirely on live-food, grubs and caterpillars being 

 apparently most favoured : mealworms when provided were also 

 much appreciated. 



When the baby Lark was about a week old it had a narrow 

 escape from sudden death, as a grass snake, about four feet 

 long found its way into the axiary. The reptile took a nest 

 full of eggs belonging to my redwings, and if I had not seen 

 it when I did, there would undoubtedly have been other equally 

 vexatious losses. 



The colour of the adult l)irds. in 1)oth sexes, is attractive 

 and pleasing, and, as they are not shy. they are mostly on view, 

 which is not always the case with many species of larks. 



Like my Indian Lark {.Mauda aJauda) P. Iciicotis fre- 

 quently selects the top of a dead tree from which to pour forth 

 his song, but T have never heard it singing while on the wing, as 

 it is said to do in its native haunts. 



There appear to l)e several other s])ecies of finch-larks, 

 both in Africa and India, and from an aviculturists' point of 

 view, they would seem to be well worth importing. 



