350 ALAUDID^. 



and compounds as well as on road sides and patches of jungle. He found a 

 nest in July, which is said to have been made of grass partially domed, like the 

 last species, and placed in a hoof mark under a tuft of grass and overhung by 

 a small bush. The eggs, two in number, were white, thickly spotted with rusty 

 brown. Hume says it lays 3 4 eggs, O 81 x O 56 in size. 



892. Mirafra erythroptera, Jerd., in. ind. Om. pi. 38 ; id., Birds 



Ind. ii p 418, No. 756; Murray, Hdbk., Zool. fyc tt Smd, p. 185. The 

 RED-WINGED BUSH LARK. 



Head, back, scapulars, rump and upper tail-coverts fulvous brown ; feathers 

 of the head (coronal) lengthened, tinged rufescent and, like those of the upper 

 parts, mesially streaked with dark brown ; eye streak and supercilium fulvous 

 \yhite ; ear coverts fulvous brown, very slightly tinged with rufescent ; wing 

 coverts dusky brown, edged with fulvous or rufescent brown ; primaries rufous 

 on their outer webs, and dark shafted ; the inner web of the second primary 

 rufous for about one-half its length at the base, the other half dusky, the dusky 

 tips growing less in extent on the others, and in some specimens reduced to a 

 minute shaft-streak on the secondaries ; tertials dusky brown, broadly edged 

 with rufous ; tail dark brown, the centre feathers pale sandy brown, with 

 slightly rufous edgings, and the outer web of the outermost feather white ; chin 

 and throat white ; sides of the throat fulvous white, the feathers edged brown, 

 forming two bands from the base of the lower mandible to the sides of the 

 neck ; breast and under parts white or fulvous white, spotted with dark 

 brown ; bill horny ; legs pale brown ; irides light brown. 



Length. 5' 2 5 to 5*5 inches ; wing 3'2 ; tail 2 ; bill at front 0*4. 



Hab. Sind, Punjab, N.-W. Provinces, Oudh, Bengal, Central India, 

 Kutch, Kattiawar, Rajputana, Guzerat, Concan and the Deccan ; affecting 

 low jungle, bare plains, or the vicinity of cultivation. Breeds from March to 

 August in similar situations as the last. Mr. Hume says he has found them in 

 a hoof- print, in a perfectly bare plain, in an equally bare field, under clods of 

 earth, in open country, or foot of some dense tuft of grass ; in scattered jungle 

 at the foot of nim, caper or young babool trees ; also between the rails of a 

 railway amo*ng ballast. The eggs, 3 5 in number, are perfect ovals, greenish, 

 or pinkish white with tine speckles and spots all over of red, brownish red, 

 and inky purple. Size, 0*72 0-82 x O'55 65. 



893. Mirafra cantillans, Jcrd., J.A.S. B. xiii. p. 960 ; M., Suppi. 



Cat. 185 ; id., B. Ind. ii. p. 420. No. 757 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs Ind. B. 

 p. 476. The SINGING BUSH LARK. 



Entire upper surface of the body dusky brown, the feathers margined with 

 rufescent brown ; those of the head elongated ; wing coverts margined with 

 paler rufous brown. Quills brown, margined with rufous brown ; tail brown, 

 the outermost pair on each side nearly all white, the penultimate, white on the 



