MELANOCORYPHAALAUDA 387 



margins ; under parts white, the lower throat and breast spotted, the flanks 

 striped with blackish brown. The young male resembles the female, but 

 the upper parts are darker and the under parts boldly blotched with 

 black. 



Hob. Southern Russia, Transcaspia, Western Siberia ; east 

 to Turkestan and north to Indirsk ; is stated to have occurred 

 in Belgium, Austria, and Pomerania. 



Frequents the desert steppes and feeds on seeds of various 

 kind, especially those of saline plants. In the winter it collects 

 in large flocks, and is then often seen on roads, and near houses. 

 Its call-note is low and piping, and its song somewhat resembles 

 that of the Skylark, and is usually uttered when the bird is on 

 the wing. Its nest is a careless structure placed on the ground, 

 usually most carefully concealed, and the eggs 4 to 5 in number 

 resemble those of M. calandra but are more boldly marked, and 

 the ground colour is usually white. In size they measure about 

 0-91 by 0*75. 



ALAUDA, Linn., 1766. 



555. SKYLARK. 

 ALAUDA ARVENSIS. 



Alauda arvensis, Linn, Syst. Nat. i. p. 287 (1766) ; Naum. iv. p. 157, 

 Taf. 100, fig. 1 ; Hewitson, p. 176, pi. xlv/.fig. 1 ; Gould, B. of E. iii. 

 pi. 166 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. iii. pi. 15 ; Newton, i. p. 614 ; Dresser, 

 iv. p. 307, pi. 231 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xiii. p. 567 ; Gates, F. 

 Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 324 ; Saunders, p. 249 ; Lilford, iv. p. 3, 

 pi. 2 ; A. cantarella, Bp. Comp. List. p. 36 (1838) ; A. leiopus vel 

 orientalis, Hodgs. in Gray's Zool. Misc. p. 84 (1844) ; A. japonica, 

 Temm. and Schlegel, Faun. Jap. p. 87, pi. 47, (1850) ; A. tribo- 

 rhyncha, Hodgs. apud Horsf. and Moore, Cat. ii. p. 467 (1858) ; A. 

 guttata, Brooks, J.A.S.B. xli. pt. ii. p. 85 (1872) ; A. blakistoni, 

 Stejn. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. ii. p. 98 (1884). 



Alouette des champs, French ; Laverca, Portug. ; Zurriaga, 

 Span. ; Lodola, Ital. ; Heidelerche, German ; LeeuweriJc, Dutch ; 

 Sanglcerke, Dan. ; LcerJce, Norw. ; SdnglarJca, Swed. ; Kivenviha, 

 Finn. ; Polevoi-javronok, Russ. 



$ ad. (England). Upper parts dark brown margined with fulvous and 

 warm sandy buff ; crown slightly crested ; supercilium pale buffy white ; 

 quills dark brown narrowly margined with dull white ; tail brown ; the 



C C 2 



