Contributions to the Ornithology of India, 8fc. 213 



761.— Oalandrella brachydactyla, Leisl. ^ 



Common everywhere in Sindh. Seen also once or twice on the '^^ 

 Mekran Coast. "^ 



762 ^er.— Alaudula Adamsi, Hume. Ibis, 1871. 

 p. 405. 



This little sandlark is extraoi'dinarily abundant along* the 

 whole course of the g-reater Punjab rivers almost from the foot 

 of the Himalayas to Kurrachee, just as Alaudida raytal equally ~ 



affects, though not in anything' like such numbers_, the Ganges 

 and most of its tributaries. 



The two species resemble each other pretty closely in plumage,, 

 appearance, and habits ; but they are distinguished at once by 

 the shape and size of the bill which in ray ted is more lengthened 

 and slender than those of the true larks, measuring at front 0'5 

 (not 0*38 as Jerdon wrongly gives it) while that of Adamsi is 

 that of a true lark never measuring in front more than 0*38. 

 The bill of the latter, besides being shorter, is much stouter and 

 has the culmen more curved, moreover it is differently colored, 

 being grey or bluish horny, with a brown tinge on the culmen 

 instead of yellowish horny as in raytal. I have seen some hun- 

 dreds of both species, and never saw a single bird in any way 

 intermediate, and I am compelled therefore to consider the two 

 species distinct. -| 



The following are dimensions recorded in the flesh : 



Male, length, 5-9 to 6 ; expanse, 10-4 to 11 ; tail from vent, 

 3-1 to 2-2 ; wing, 3-3 to 3-5 ; bill at front, 0-35 to 0-38 ; tarsus, 

 0*75 to O'S ; wings, when closed, reach to within 0*7 to 0'8 of 

 end of tail; weight, 0*7 5 oz. 



Female, length, 5*6 to 5-7 ; expanse, 10 to 10-5 ; tail from 

 vent, 2; wing, 3-05 to 3-2 ; bill at front, 0*32 to 0-38 ; tarsus, 

 0'75 to 0'78 ; wings, when closed, reach to within 0'6 to 0*7 of 

 end of tail; weight, 0'6 to 0*7 oz. 



The irides are pale brown ; the bill, pale gi*eyish or slaty grey, 

 brownish on culmen and at tip ; slightly yellowish white at base 

 of lower mandible ; legs and feet, fleshy brown, or in some brown- 

 ish yellow, dusky on joints. 



In the winter the whole upper surface is a very pale grey or 

 wliitey brown, all the feathers narrowly centred with grey 

 brown, so as to produce a striated appearance. There is, in many 

 specimens, a inore or less perceptible, but still very faint rufous 

 tinge on the back. The wings are pale brown, the outer webs of 

 the first primaries nearly entirely cream color, the other primaries 

 narrowly tipped and margined white ; secondaries more broadly, 

 tertiaries and coverts still more broadly, margined with fulvous 



'mi 



