706 MR. W. J. F. WILLIAMSON ON 



Description. Length up to 1G5 mm. ( 6.5 in. ). Upper plu- 

 mage dark brown, the feathers broadly edged with fulvous; quills 

 brown, narrowly tipped whitish— the first two or three primaries being 

 edged with pale fulvous, while the edges of the remaining wing- 

 feathers are more or less rufous ; tail brown, edged with fulvous, ex- 

 cept the outermost pair of tail-feathers which are white ( barring the 

 base of the inner web), and the penultimate pair, which have the outer 

 web white ; a pale supercilium from the nostrils to the ear-coverts ; 

 lower plumage pale fulvous, except the breast and flanks, which are 

 darker, the cheeks being slightly, and the breast boldly, streaked with 

 brown and black, respectively. 



Iris brown. Upper mandible dark horn-colour, lower dull 

 whitish, dusky at tip. Legs pinkish to brownish flesh. Claws pale horn- 

 colour. 



Distribution. So far only recorded, by myself, from the neigh- 

 bourhood of Bangkok, Central Siam. 



I have elsewhere ( antca, p. 60 ) dealt fully with the occurrence 

 of this bird in Siain — a fact which is of soma interest, as it has only 

 been procured, hitherto, in Formosa and South Hainan. There is no 

 record of its occurrence in Lido-China, which would be expected, while 

 it is represented in South China by another race, A. g. ci^Urox. 



Ilahits, etc. A resident here, and to be found in the open 

 fields round Bangkok. I have not taken its eggs, but young birds 

 procured in April and May appear to be referable to this species. 

 If 80, its time of nesting is probably much the same as that of its con- 

 gener, A. g. gulgula, which is said by Gates to breed in Burma from 

 December to April. 



This bird is a true Sky-Lark, and sings while soaring on the 

 wing in exactly the same manner as its European congener, from which 

 it differs mainly in its smaller size. Any one walking across the 

 fields round Bangkok, especially during the months when it is breed- 

 ing, cannot fail, if he has an attentive ear, to note the continuous out- 

 pouring of the song of this bird, and a search sky-wards will soon re- 

 veal one or more of them, on fluttering wings. 



The Siamese appear to have the same name for this bird as for 

 the following species, to which it certainly bears a very close general 

 resemblance. It differs from Mirafra (nnlUlnns irilUamsnni by its 



JOIKN, .NAT. II I. ST. SOC. SI.\M. 



