MELANOCORYPHA CALANDRA 285 



in colour. Whether C. m. hcetica is migratory, as Lord Lilford seems 

 to have thought probable, I cannot say, but I have no specimens of 

 the form from Marocco. It may, however, be so to a certain extent 

 and within a limited range. 



In many of its habits the present species resembles its congener, 

 C. brachi/dactyla, but seems to be less shy and wary, and will often 

 allow one to approach close to it before taking to flight. This is 

 more particularly noticeable in the spring when the birds are pairing, 

 or already paired. 



At certain seasons, however, these little Larks are very restless 

 and seem to be constantly on the move, apparently without any 

 reason. Their flight is flitting and rather rapid. Their food consists 

 of small seeds and insects. 



Their song, which is uttered by the birds either when on the wing 

 or on the ground, is short but not unpleasing. 



In its mode of nesting the present species resembles C. brachijdac- 

 tyla, and lays, as a rule, three eggs. I have, however, found as many 

 as four eggs in a nest. The usual site for the nest is at the foot of 

 a small plant or tuft of grass, and the materials composing the 

 structure are dry bents and bits of plant stems, with merely a finer 

 lining of the same materials. 



Eggs in my collection are of a glossy white colour, thickly spotted 

 and blotched, chiefly at the larger end, with yellowish shell-marks 

 and grey-brown surface-spots. Average measurements 19 x 14 mm. 



MELANOCORYPHA CALANDRA (Linnaeus). 



CALANDRA LARK. 



Alauda calandra, Linn. Sijst. Nat. i, p. 288 (1766). 



Melanocorypha calandra, Boie, Isis, 1828, p. 322 ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds 



Brit. Mus. xiii, p. 551 ; Malherbe, Cat. Bais. d'Ois. Alg. p. 12 (1846) ; 



Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. ii, p. 37 (1867) ; Koenig, J. /. 0. 1888, 



p. 223 ; id. J.f. 0. 1893, p. 45 ; Whitaker, Ibis, 1891, p. 91 ; Erlanger, 



J. f. 0. 1899, p. 362. 

 Alauda (Melanocorypha) calandra, Malherbe, Cat. Bais. d'Ois. Alg. 



p. 12 (1846). 



