i4 BRITISH BIRDS, WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 



perhaps a hundred yards or so, all the time warbling its simple song." 



Speaking of it in India, Theobald describes the nest as " a little grass in 

 a hole in the ground, with four ovato-pyriform yellowish white eggs uniformly 

 freckled with greyish yellow and neutral tint." 



Jerdon says that the ' Chendul ' " feeds on various insects, chiefly grass- 

 hoppers, and in default of this food on grains and seeds." In his " Birds of 

 India," Vol. II, p. 437, he gives the following account: "It is not known 

 in Bengal nor in the Himalayas, nor in the countries to the eastwards. It 

 prefers dry open sandy plains, or ploughed land, to grass, wet meadows, or 

 cultivation. It rises in the air singing, though not so high as A. gulgula* 

 nor is its song so fine. In winter it may be seen in small parties, or some- 

 times in considerable flocks, occasionally on roads and barren places." 



From what Jerdon says, the ' Chendul ' as the Hindoos call the species 

 is much esteemed on account of its song (although Seebohm states that the 

 latter is short and monotonous, not unlike that of a Corn- Bunting) he observes : 

 "It is frequently caged in all parts of the country, and the bird is kept in 

 darkness by several layers of cloth wrapped round the cage ; the custom being 

 to wrap an additional cover round the cage every year. In this state it sings 

 very sweetly, and learns to imitate most exactly the notes of various other 

 birds, and of animals, such as the yelping of a dog, the mewing of a cat, 

 the call of a hen to her chickens, etc., etc." 



Herr Rausch speaks of the Crested Lark as an original songster, but 

 considers that, as regards its adult wild song it is an insignificant and almost 

 worthless singer. Perhaps Herr Rausch, like Seebohm, may only have heard 

 the bird sing like a Corn- Bunting, and it is quite possible that the different 

 races of the species vary considerably as regards the excellence of their per- 

 formance. This we know to be the case with Pycnonotus leucotis the Persian 

 specimens of which have a fine variable liquid song, whereas the smaller 

 examples found in N.W. India are very poor singers. Judging by Jerdon's 

 account the Crested Lark of India can be little inferior to the Mongolian or 

 Tientsin Lark, the song of which, though it contains some harsh scolding 

 notes, is exceedingly amusing and in some of its phrases really fine. My 

 advice to aviculturists would therefore be, not to accept Mr. Rausch's decision 

 as final ; but, if they desire to keep the Crested Lark, import it from India, 

 or even from Pekin, where according to Pere David (P.Z.S. 1871, p. 390) it 

 is resident and common, as it also is in Mongolia. 



In India this bird, according to Jerdon (cf. Cat. Birds, E. Ind. Comp., 



* An eastern race of the Sky-Lark. A.G.B. 



