MIRAFRA. 349 



throat white ; under surface of the body fulvescent ; breast streaked with dark 

 brown centres. Bill dusky, fleshy white beneath ; legs pale fleshy brown ; 

 irides hazel. 



Length. 5-5 to 575 inches; wing 3-3 to 3*5 ; tail r8 to 2-1 ; tarsns 0-95 ; 

 bill from gape, 0-75 ; hind claw 0*5 to O'6. 



Hab. Throughout Lower and Eastern Bengal, the wooded tracts of the 

 Central Provinces and Chota Nagpore ; also Assam, Cachar, Dacca Sylhet 

 and in the Dhoons, Terais and Bhaburs that lie at the feet of the Himalayas 

 and the immediate adjacent districts of Behar, Oudh, and the N.-W. Provinces, 

 where it is a permanent resident. (Hume.) According to Blyth it is said to occur 

 in Arrakan, and Gates says it occurs in the Indo-Burmese countries. Jerdon 

 states that it is a tolerably familiar bird feeding in gardens and bushy places, 

 squatting when watched and then taking a short flight. According to Blyth 

 it is a heavy, inactive bird in captivity, prone to hide itself from observation. 

 Its song is pleasing, but of no power. Breeds from May to July, building 

 in a hollow in the ground under some tuft of grass. Eggs 3 5, dull greenish 

 white, thickly freckled, spotted and streaked with yellowish or pale purplish 

 brown, more dense towards the large end. In length they vary from 079 to 

 O'9 inch, and in breadth from 0-57 to 0*65. 



891. Mirafra affiniS, Jerd., Madr. Journ. xiii. pt. ii. p. 136 ; id., B, 



2nd. ii. p. 417, No. 755; Hume, Nests and Eggs Ind. B. p. 474; Ball, 

 Str. F. ii. p. 422 ; Blyth and Wald., B. Burm. p. 95 ; Hume, Str. F. viii. 

 p. 108 ; Legge, B. Ceylon, p. 634. Mirafra microptera, Hume, Str. F. i. 

 p. 483 ; id., Nests and Eggs Ind. B. p. 475 ; id., Str. F. iii. p. 159; Oates, 

 Str. F. v. p. 163 ; Hume, Str. F. viii. p. 108; Oates, B. Br. Burm. i. p 376. 

 The MADRAS BUSH LARK. 



Entire upper surface of the body dusky brown, each feather edged with pale 

 rufous ; wing coverts brown, edged with rufous ; quills dusky brown, edged 

 with bright rufous on the outer webs of the primaries and secondaries, and 

 pale rufescent on both webs of the tertiaries ; inner webs of the primaries pale 

 rufous at the base ; tail brown edged with pale rufous more conspicuous on 

 the outermost feathers ; lores and cheeks mixed rufous and brown ; chin, and 

 throat white ; superciliary streak pale fulvous ; under surface of the body 

 white, faintly tinged with fulvous, the breast streaked with dark brown. Bill 

 dusky, fleshy beneath ; legs fleshy ; irides hazel. 



Length.-^ to 6 inches; wing 2-9 to 3*25; tail 175 to 2 ; tarsus i ; 

 culmen, 0-5 ; hind claw 0-45. 



Hal. Southern India generally. It is recorded from the Malabar Coast, 

 Carnatic, Mysore and the Southern portion of the table land, extending, accord- 

 ing to Jerdon, to Goomsoor and Midnapore in Bengal. It is found in Ceylon, 

 also in Burmah and Cochin-China. In Burmah, Oates says it is very abun- 

 dant at Thayetmyo and its immediate neighbourhood. It is found in gardens 



