A BIRD OF THE OPEN PLAIN 203 



it makes up by its powers of flight for that which 

 it lacks in form and colour. 



The iinch-larks found in India fall into two genera, 

 each of which is composed of two species. 



The commonest species is that mentioned above — 

 the ashy-crowned or, as Jerdon calls it, the black- 

 bellied finch-lark. 



In the genus Pyrrhiilauda the sexes differ much in 

 appearance, while in the allied genus, Ammomancs, the 

 cock is indistinguishable from the hen. 



As the habits of these two genera are alike in all 

 respects, they afford an instance of the futility of 

 attempting, as some do, to account for the phenomenon 

 of sexual dimorphism by alleging that the habits of the 

 dimorphic species differ from those of the mono- 

 morphic species. When species A lives in the same 

 locality as species B, nests at the same season, builds 

 the same kind of nest, and when both feed and fly in 

 the same manner, it should be obvious to every 

 person not obsessed by a pet theory that natural 

 selection cannot have had much to do with the fact 

 that, whereas in species A the sexes are alike, in 

 species B they differ. But, as we shall see, finch-larks 

 would almost seem to have been created expressly to 

 upset present-day zoological theories. 



Well might one say to the indoor naturalist, who 

 sits in his chair and theorises, "Go to the finch-lark, 

 thou sluggard, consider her ways, and be wise." 



The cock Pyrrhulauda grisea is an ash-coloured 

 bird with a short brown tail, and very dark brown, 

 practically black, chin, breast, and abdomen. The 



