MIRAFRA. 335 



the outer web entirely pale rufous, and the inner web tipped with the 

 same colour ; wing-coverts brown edged with fulvous ; quills brown 

 with a large portion of both webs chestnut ; lores and a supercilium 

 pale fulvous ; cheeks and ear-coverts fulvous speckled with brown ; 

 chin and throat whitish ; remainder of lower plumage pale fulvous, 

 the breast spotted with triangular marks of brown or black ; under 

 wing-coverts pale rufous. 



Bill horny brown above, fleshy below ; legs flesh-colour ; iris 

 hazel (Butler). 



Length about 5'5 ; tail 2-1 ; wing 3 ; tarsus '85 ; bill from gape 

 65. 



Distribution. The whole of India from the foot of the Himalayas 

 to about the latitude of Nellore and east to the longitude of Cal- 

 cutta. This Lark appears to be rare in Siud and the western parts 

 of Eajputana and the Punjab. 



Habits, fyc. Breeds from March to September. The eggs, four 

 or five in number, are speckled with various shades of red and brown, 

 and measure about -76 by -59. 



872. Mirafra affinis. The Madras Bush-Lark. 



Mirafra affinis, Jerd. Madr. Journ. L. S. xiii, pt. 2, p. 136 (1844) ; 

 id. Ill 2nd. Orn. text to pi. 38; Bh/th, Cat. p. 133; Horsf. '< 

 M. Cat. ii, p. 475 ; Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 417 ; Hume, N. $ E. p. 474; 

 Ball, S. F. vii, p. 223 ; Hume, Cat. no. 755 ; Legge, Birds Ceyl. 

 p. 634 ; Davison, S. F. x, p. 404 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 614; 

 Oates in Humes N. # E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 233. 



Eeli-jitta, Tel. ; Chirchira, Hind. ; Leepee, in Central India ; Gomarita, 

 Cing. 



Coloration. Upper plumage rufous-brown with very broad 

 median dark brown streaks to all the feathers ; tail dark brown 

 narrowly margined with rufous, the outer web of the outermost 

 feather being very broadly margined with this colour ; wing-coverts 

 and quills dark brown, margined with rufous, most of the quills 

 with a large band of rufous on the inner web; lores and superci- 

 lium pale fulvous; ear-coverts rufous mottled with brown; chin 

 and throat very pale fulvous ; remainder of lower plumage deeper 

 fulvous, the breast streaked with large triangular patches of dark 

 brown ; under wing-coverts and axillaries rufous. 



Legs, feet, claws, lower mandible, and edges of upper mandible 

 fleshy white ; rest of upper mandible horny brown ; iris sienna- 

 brown (Davison). 



Length about 6 ; tail 1-8 to 2-1 ; wing 3-2 to 3-5 ; tarsus 1 ; bill 

 from gape '7. 



Distribution. Ceylon and Southern India, extending north to 

 Midnapore in Bengal on the eastern side of the Peninsula and to 

 the Nilgiris on the western. 



Habits, c. Little is known about the uidification of this Lark. 

 It appears to lay in May and June and its nest and eggs are not 



