Birds of Lucknow. 563 



sing extremely well, but eventually was killed and eaten by 

 a snake, which got into its cage during the night. 



No. 861. Alauda gulgula. Indian Sky-Lark. 



Chundul [H.]. 



A fairly common and permanent resident, frequenting open 

 plains, scrub-jungle, and grassy patches. Strangely, neither 

 I nor anyone else that I know have come across the nest of 

 this bird. 



No. 863. Calandrella dukhunensis. Rufous Short- 

 toed Lark. 



Baghaira [H.]. 



A very common cold-weather visitor. It collects in large 

 flocks on the open plains and in scrub- jungle, and also in 

 grassy meadows or along the edges of jheels. As Reid 

 remarked in his account of the Lucknow birds^ this species 

 " is looked upon as common property by almost all the 

 Hawk tribe.'' This bird is the " Ortolan '' of the Anglo- 

 Indian. In all probability C. brachydactyla occurs in 

 company with C. dukhunensis, but I have not, so far, come 

 across a typical specimen. 



No. 869. *MiRAFRA cANTiLLANs. Singing Bush-Lark. 



Possibly this species has been overlooked, but I do not 

 think that it is often found here. It is very local in its 

 distribution, and the only Lucknow specimen I know of is 

 an adult skin (? sex) in the Museum. 



No. 871. MiRAFRA ERYTHROPTERA. Red-winged Bush- 

 Lark. 



Aggia [H.]. Hooded Lark [Anglo-Indian boys]. 



A common and permanent resident, found in scrub and 

 grassy wastes, dhak-juugle, and similar localities. It breeds 

 from March to July, making a loose nest of grass, partly 

 domed — whence the Martiniere name " hooded '' — under a 

 tuft of grass. I have never found more than two eggs — on one 

 occasion one which was hard-set — but have had three brought 

 to me, and am told that occasionally four are found. Two is, 

 however, I think, the usual clutch with us. The eggs are 



SER. VIII. VOL. II. 2p 



