526 Mr. H. F. Witherby— Ornithological 



most widely distributed birds in Persia. It may be so on 

 the plains in Central and Eastern Persia, but, I suppose, 

 because of the character of the country, it was one of 

 the birds with the most restricted range in the district in 

 which I travelled. 



27. Alauda arvensis cantarella Bp. 



Alauda arvensis Linn. ; Blauf. t. c. p. 239 ; Sharpe, Ibis, 

 1886, p. 497. 



28. $ ad. Bushire, March 23rd. 



This was the only specimen of the Skylark seen. It has 

 the paler breast and white axillaries and underside of the 

 wing characteristic of the Eastern form. 



28. Alauda arborea Linn.; Blanf. t. c. p. 240. 

 93,94, 95, 176, 211. Ad. 



My specimens differ in no way from typical birds. 



Dr. Blanford did not obtain the Wood-Lark, but he men- 

 tions that Menetries found it near Lenkoran, on the Caspian. 

 Lenkoran is just outside Persia. I found it only in the 

 wooded Dasht-i-Barn, at an altitude of from 3000 ft. to 

 4500 ft. The birds were in pairs, and generally to be 

 found " squatting" very close amongst the stones under the 

 trees. The males every now and then flew up into the air 

 and sang sweetly. From the condition of their breeding- 

 organs 1 have no doubt that these birds would nest, or were 

 nesting, in the Dasht-i-Bam. 



The Wood-Lark has not been observed, I think, so far to 

 the south-east before. 



29. Melanocorypiia bimaculata (Menetr.) ; Blanf. t. c. 

 p. 244; Sharpe, Ibis, 1886, p. 497. 



248, 299, 300, 354, 355, 370. Ad. 



M. calandra, it appears, from what Dr. Blanford says, 

 nests in Persia at a lower elevation than M. bimaculata. I 

 did not obtain examples of the former species, but M. bima- 

 culata was common, and seemed to be breeding all along the 

 treeless, rolling, grassy country on the south-east side of 

 Kuh-i -Dinar at elevations of between 6500 ft. and 9000 ft. 

 This Calandra Lark is a beautiful songster. 



