486 Notes on the Ski/larks of India. 



4. Alauda Malabaiuca"^ is our fourth lark, and is the Wes- 

 tern Indian species. It can at any time be readily distinguished 

 by its long" pointed crest (resembling- that of Galerida cristata), 

 and by its g-enerally rufous tone of plumage. 



5. Alauda Australis^ n. sp, is the skylark of the hill 

 reg-ion of Southern India, distinct from A. malabarica by the 

 absence of the pointed crest. It is founded upon a single speci- 

 men in the Indian Museum, labelled " Alauda gulgula, Franklin, 

 male, Ootacaraund. W, T. B., donor."^ On the back of this 

 label I wrote in pencil. " This bird is distinct from A. gultjida of 

 the N. W. P. and Bengal, 18th December, 1872." 



Description, Length of skin, 6*5; wing", 3"84; tail, 2"4 ; 

 bill, at front, '5 > from gape, °77 ; tarsus 1*03 3 hind toe and claw, 

 1"17 ; claw only, '65. 



This is a large rufous lark, far more rufous both above and 

 below than A. gulgula of the N. W. Provinces, and very strongly 

 rufous on the outer edges of the secondaries ; greater wing coverts 

 marked with rufous, and having' outer pale edges, the lesser 

 wing coverts are also strongly marked with rufous with extreme 

 outer edges of grey, the first or basal portion of the feather being 

 dark brown; upper surface, warm rufous, streaked with a very 

 dark rich brown ; part of upper surface of central tail feathers 

 and upper tail coverts, very ruddy, greater portion of outer tail 

 feathers, white ; having an internal edge of brown (on inner 

 web) ; penultimate feathers, fulvous white on outer web, with 

 a narrow dark streak next the shaft ; except the apical portion, 

 the shafts of both these feathers are white ; central feathers, 

 broadly edg-ed with rufous ; lower surface of body fulvous or 

 warm tcned; breast, rather sparingly streaked, but very boldly 

 so, with dark brown ; abdomen and rest of lower parts, plain 

 fulvous ; cheeks and ear coverts, rather rufous, and slightly 

 speckled with brown ; throat, plain fulvous ; lining of wing, pale 

 rufous ; bill, horny brown, paler towards edges ; and lower man- 

 dible, pale red(hsh brown, except the tip wdiich is dark. 



The absence of the pointed crest readily distinguishes this species 

 from A. malabarica; and its large size and generally very rufous tone, 

 separate it at a glance from A. gulgida. The last species, it will be 



* If this is Scopoli's, Alauda malabarica, then this is nothing hut Splzalanda 

 deva, Sykes, and must now _ stand as Spizalauda malabarica Scop. If, how- 

 ever, it is tliG true skylark, which Jerdon, I, and otliers have wrongly called 

 malabarica. Scop., then it is identical with Mr. Bi'ooks' A. atislralis, which is the 

 only skylark of the Nilghiris, and Malabar Coast. Although Jerdon and others used 

 the nanjc vuider a mistake, still as Scopolis's name goes into another genus, this 

 bird must stand as Alauda malabarica, Jerd. neo Scop. Spizalauda deaa, Sykes, 

 again must not be confounded with 8. siinilima, nobis, of Upper and Central 

 India. —Ed., Steay Feathejjs. 



