484 Notes on the Skylarks of India. 



i^ote m\ i\t ^kglatks d pMa;. By w. E. Bwohs, Esq., 



C. E., Dinapore, 



Mr. Hume^s paper on the Skylarks of India {StraT/ Featkers, 

 p. 38j, and Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser^s article in the Birds of 

 Europe, on Alauda arvensis, lead me to make a few remarks. 



I differ from Mr. Hume as to the number of good species in 

 India, and instead of two, I would recognize five_,'^ viz. : 



1. Alauda dulcivox. Hodgson. 

 * A. triborhyncha. Hodgson. 



■^ A. arvensis. 



2. Alauda guttata. Brooks. 



3. Alauda gulgula. Franklin. 

 A. triborhyncha. Hodgson. 



A. leiopus vel. orientalis. 



A. cochion. Sivinhoe. 



4. Alauda Malabarica. Scopoli. 



5. Alauda Australts. Brooks^ n. sp. 

 ■* A. gulgula. Franklin. 



Erroneous synonyms are distinguished from true synonyms 

 by an asterisk. 



1. Alauda dulcivox, Hodgson, is the only Indian Skylark, 

 havmg a general resemblance to the European Alauda arvensis, 

 and which has therefore been erroneouslyf identified with it by 

 Messrs, Hume, Sharpe, and Dresser. By Dr. Jerdon, it is erro- 

 neously identified with Alauda triborhyncha, Hodgson ; which 

 latter, I may observe, is a spurious species, and identical with 

 Alauda gulgula, Franklin. 



There are several marked points of difierence between Alauda 

 dulcivox and A. arvensis, which should be noted. 



1. Alauda dulcivox has a longer wing. 



3. Much purer white on the abdomen. 



3, Much less rufous in general tone of plumage, and parti- 

 cularly so with regard to the rufous edgings of wing coverts. 



* According to my present view there must be either two, or eight species. 

 Specimens, I am thankful to record have been' coming in from all quarters, and 

 the more I examine, the more convinced I am, that although the local races are 

 very numerous, ( I already reckon eight), there are only two distinct species, all 

 the races of each of which inosculate and run one into the other, so that, lay 

 down what diagnosis you may, you will always find specimens which may be 

 equally correctly assigned to either of two races. — Ed., Stray Feathers. 



f Itis a painful fact illustrative of the wrong-headed obstinacy of some 

 people, that Messrs. Sharpe, Dresser, and Hume persist in retaining this erroneous 

 opinion — and this too, (it is really too bad of them,) after Mr. Brooks has deli- 

 berately decided that they are quite wrong ! wretched mortals, what will happen 

 to them ? — Ed., Stkay Featheus. 



