THE WHITE-WINGED LARK. 



147 



MELANOCORYPHA SIBIRICA 



58. Melanocorypha sibirica (Gm.)— THE WHITE-WINGED 

 LARK. 



Alauda sibirica Gmelin, Syst. Nat., i, 2, p. 799 (1789 — ex Pallas, Reise. 

 Typical locality : River Irtish). 



Melanocorypha sihir lea (J. F. Gmelin), Yarrell, i, p. 642 ; Alauda sibirica 

 J. F. Gmelin, Saunders, p. 257. 



Wnite-winged Lark {Melanocorypha sibirica) c? adult. 



Description. — Adult male. Winter. — Fore-head and crown 

 chestnut, somewhat obscured, especially on hind-part of crown, 

 by tips to feathers which are greyish-buff with bro^\nti central 

 streaks ; hind-neck, mantle, scapulars, back and rump dark 

 brown, each feather edged pale brownish-grey with slight pinkish- 

 buff fringes to some of the feathers ; upj)er tail-coverts as rump 

 but basal part of feathers and fringes chestnut ; lores, orbital 

 ring and short supercihary stripe white ; ear-coverts streaked 

 brown, white and chestnut ; chin white ; cheeks, throat and 

 upper-breast same, spotted dusky ; sides of breast pale chestnut 

 and white, streaked brown ; flanks streaked blackish-brown 

 tinged chestnut ; tibial feathers pale chestnut ; centre of breast, 

 belly, under tail-coverts and axillaries white ; tail brown-black, 

 central pair edged rusty-buff, outer pair white, penultimate pair 

 with whole outer web and narrow fringe on umer white, rest 

 narrowly fringed white ; primaries brown-black narrowly fringed 

 whitish on inner webs, outer web of 2nd white, of 3rd to 7th 

 reddish-buff and tips buff, tips and distal part of inner webs of 

 8th to 10th white ; secondaries with distal half of both webs 

 white, three innermost black -brown fringed and tipped rufous- 

 buff ; primary-coverts chestnut with concealed portion of inner 

 webs black-brown ; greater coverts black-brown fringed and 

 tipped chestnut and whitish-buff ; median coverts with distal 

 portion chestnut fringed pale buff ; lesser coverts chestnut 

 narrowly fringed pale buff. This plumage is acquired by complete 

 moult in autumn. Summer. — No moult. Abrasion makes crown 



L 2 



