342 ALAUDIDJE. 



The Black-bellied Finch-Lark, Jerd. ; Diyora, Duri, Dabhak chun, 

 Jothauli, Hind. ; Chat-bharai, Dhula chata, Beng. ; Poti-pichike, Piyada 

 pichike, Tel. 



Coloration. Male. Upper plumage ashy brown, each feather 

 margined with pale grey and the forehead and crown more broadly 

 margined than the other parts ; middle tail-feathers light brown, 

 the others dark brown, the outermost feather with the outer web 

 and the terminal half of inner whitish; wings dark brown 

 margined with pale grey ; lores, front part of cheeks, a supercilium, 

 chin, throat, sides of neck, breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts 

 dark chocolate-brown ; posterior part of cheeks, ear-coverts, and 

 sides of the breast white ; sides of body mixed ashy and blackish ; 

 under wing-coverts and axillaries chocolate-brown. 



Fig. 97. Head of P. grisea. 



Female. Darker brown above, with narrower and darker grey 

 margins and with a tinge of rufous throughout ; tail as in the male ; 

 wings of much the same colour as the upper plumage ; lores, a 

 supercilium, and round the eye rufous ; ear-coverts mixed rufous 

 and brown ; lower plumage pale rufous, with obscure, ill-defined 

 brown striations chiefly on the breast. 



The young bird resembles the female, but has the margins of the 

 feathers of the upper plumage very distinct and broad and of a 

 pale rufous colour. 



Iris dark brown ; legs and feet brownish flesh ; bill bluish flesh, 

 horny brown on the culmen (Butler). 



Length about 5-5 ; tail 1*8 ; wing 3 ; tarsus -55 ; bill from 

 gape -5. 



Distribution. The plains of India from Sind to the longitude of 

 Calcutta and from the foot of the Himalayas to Cape Comorin, 

 extending to Ceylon. This species is not recorded from the northern 

 and western portions of the Punjab, but with this exception is 

 found throughout the above area in suitable localities. It is every- 

 where a permanent resident. 



Habits, <$fc. Breeds from January to August, having two broods 

 in the year. The nest is a small pad of grass, fibres, and feathers 

 placed on the ground. The eggs, two in number, are speckled with 

 brown and grey and measure about *73 by *55. 



