180 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the Alauda bimaculata. 



am at once enabled to distinguish them specifically from the 

 ordinary Calandra. Dr. Tristram has selected two of the 

 characters by which they may be separated ; but there is yet 

 a third, of equal importance, which he has apparently over- 

 looked ; and that consists in the entire absence of white spots 

 along the tips of the lesser quills, which is so ver}- evident a 

 character in true M. calandra. Un comparing the Palestine 

 specimens with an example of M. alhoterminata in my collec- 

 tion from Abyssinia, I find that they agree precisely as regards 

 the characters of the wings and tail : the bill is a little stouter 

 in the latter bird ; but this is, as every one knows, a veiy 

 varia1)le characteristic in larks of the genus Melanocorypha. 

 A further examination of Melanocorypfia bimaculata of Menu- 

 tries has induced me to believe that this, too, is not distinct 

 from M. torquata of Cashmere and the North-west Pro\nnces 

 of India, while I am unable to separate either of these species 

 from M. alhoterminata ; so that it will be seen that I incline 

 to the belief that there is one species of Calandra Lark found 

 ranging from Abyssinia to Xorth-western India, replacing the 

 true Calandra in these countries, and overlapping the range of 

 the latter in Palestine and South-eastern Russia. ^Ir. Blyth, 

 it is true, has written to ' The Ibis ' (1867, p. 46) protesting 

 against his M. torquata being united to M. bimaculata of 

 Mdnetrids, which latter, he says, "can be only doubtfully 

 separated from Calandrella brachydactyla (L.)." But, in reply 

 to this, it may be mentioned that Menetri^s, in his original 

 description, gives his A. bimaculata as being of the size of a 

 Calandra, which can hardly be said to be the case with the 

 Short-toed Lark. Lastly, it may be observed that the M. ru- 

 fescens of Pastor Brehm, which has been regarded as a syno- 

 nym of M. alhoterminata, is doubtless rightly thus identified ; 

 and this name Avas probably foimded on a rufous-coloured 

 specimen, for Canon Tristram's exam])les arc more rufous 

 than any I have seen. AVliether this coloration is due to the 

 season of the year, or whether it is acquired from the nature 

 of the ground they frequent, I cannot at present determine, 

 the latter, I suspect, being the reason. According to my 

 views, therefore, the synonymy of the species Avill stand 

 thus : — 



Melanocorypha bimaculata. 



Alauda bimaculata, M^netri^s, Cat. Rais. p. 37 (1832). 

 Mt'lanocorj/pha calandra, Riipp. Syst. Uebers. p. 78 (184o, nee Linn.). 



torquata. IMytli, J. A. S. V,. xvi. p. 470 (^1847). 



alhotvnninata. Cab. Mas. lleiu. Th. i. p. 124 (1850). 



rufescens, Brehiu, Xaumannia, 1856, p. 376. 



M. similis M. calandrcr. scd pauUo minor, et rcmigibus minoribus 



