' Birds of British f/idia.' 61 



one of the large examples on which Canon Tristram founded 

 his P. robusta, identity is quite out of tlie question ; not only 

 have we an immense difference in size, but the style of colora- 

 tion is quite different. 



Vol. II. p. 312. Anthus spinoletta. — I would keep 

 A. blakistoni, Swinhoe, distinct. It is smaller, and in winter 

 plumage has well-defined small breast-spots, as opposed to 

 the larger and more cloudy ones of the European bird. A 

 difference of '3 in the length of wing precludes identity. 



Vol. II. p. 324. Alauda arvensis. — The large Lark of the 

 Punjab is certainly not A. arvensis, and A. dulcivox, Hodgs., 

 should be kept distinct. My intermediate-sized Lark, A. gut- 

 tata of the Cashmere valley, is distinct from both — a 

 smaller bird, though much larger than A. gulgula ; and it has 

 one peculiarity — when newly moulted, the reddish parts of 

 the plumage are a dull purple-brown, as opposed to the 

 bright rufous of A. gulgula. Towards winter-time, and in 

 spring, the Larks weather to the one sandy light tone, and 

 comparisons as to supposed identity should be made just 

 after the moult : at this time only can safe work be done. 

 Unlike other genera, the voice in true Alauda is much the 

 same in every species that I have met with (let me here 

 observe I have never seen the Wood-Lark in life), so that 

 the voice is no help in sejjarating them. Clearly there are 

 several species of Alauda, and the points of difference are not 

 yet determined, perhaps never will be, for there is not such 

 a difficult group to be found anywhere. Some of the Eastern 

 Himalayan birds are intensely red, and quite different from 

 the Mountain Sky-Larks of the North-west. Carefully 

 collected examples of all the Indian Sky-Larks, just after 

 the autumnal moult and properly sexed and measured, with 

 soft parts accurately noted, would throw some light on the 

 subject; and the same is the case with regard to the Sky- 

 Larks of China and other parts of Asia. 



Vol. II. p. 326. Alauda gulgula. — To the synonyms 

 should be added A. coelivox, Swinhoe, but from them must 

 be deducted my A. australis. The type of the latter is in the 

 Calcutta Museum, and it is quite impossible to unite tluit 



