THE LARKS 1599 



Algeria, Egypt, Nubia, and India; the eastern representative of the western bird 

 inhabiting Northern China. 



The calandra (Melanocorypha calandra) is one of the finest of 

 European songsters, which it would be difficult to overpraise, as it 

 would also be difficult to exaggerate the beauty of its glorious song which is full 

 of changes; although individuals vary in the proficiency of their vocal powers. 

 In appearance, it somewhat recalls that of the corn bunting. It is a heavily-built 

 bird, and somewhat similar to the latter in shape, but it does not dangle its legs in 

 the air when flying. A permanent resident in the south of France and Spain, in 

 parts of Italy and in Greece, the calandra is common also in Turkey; while many 

 are shot in winter, as they are large, plump birds, and much in request for eating. 

 Mr. G. F. Mathew states that ' ' the male on commencing his song springs from the 

 ground, and with a graceful undulating motion describes a series of large circles 

 until he rises to an immense height; his song is then clear and beautiful, but at close 

 quarters it is piercing and unpleasant. The call note is loud and harsh, and some- 

 what similar to that of the corn bunting. With the Portuguese it is a favorite cage 

 bird, and in many of the streets of Lisbon may be seen hanging outside every door 

 in cages. At Gibraltar it is frequent, and many are caught on the neutral ground 

 by bird catchers who use clap nets with decoy call birds. ' ' The calandra lark makes 

 its nest in a depression of the ground, often at a depth of three or four inches. The 

 nest is a careless structure built of grass stems. The eggs are dull gray in ground 

 color, blotched with brown and pale amber, with underlying markings of gray and 

 light brown. The adult is grayish brown above, the feathers having dark centres; 

 the under surface of the body is white tinged with fulvous, and streaked finely with 

 dark brown. The distinguishing characteristic of this species is a large patch of 

 black adorning the sides of the neck. 



This species (M. yeltoniensis) , which is figured on p. 1597, inhabits 



Blcick c 



the steppes of Central Asia, migrating westward into Southern Russia 



in the autumn and winter. After rearing their progeny, these larks congregate, 

 especially in August, and wander over the brackish places of the desert through- 

 out the whole autumn, especially in the region of the salt lake Yelton. In the 

 middle of winter, when the snow covers the land, they approach the towns and 

 suburbs. 



In summer, when on the ground, the^ black lark emits a feeble piping, generally 

 singing from a hillock, but its song is not powerful. Its nest is merely a slight hol- 

 low in the ground, lined with a few vegetable fibres, moss, and dried grass. The 

 female lays four eggs, bluish in color, and spotted with yellow; these being deposited 

 from the end of April till the end of July. In plumage the black lark varies at 

 different seasons; in spring the entire plumage of the male being black, with the 

 feathers of the back, rump, and breast, edged with light sandy, but these markings 

 become almost completely obsolete in the height of summer. The general color 

 of the female is sandy brown, the lores and superciliary stripe being whitish; the 

 wings and tail dark brown, edged with sandy; the under surface of the body white 

 tinged with buff; the upper part of the breast mottled with brown; and the flanks 

 striated. 



