A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF NEPAL. 337 



must be a permanent resident there : it was obtained from 

 early in February to July. 



It frequents the central woods in flocks, and may often be 

 seen in the Hesidency grounds about sunset, flying into the 

 tops of the pine trees and moving about the upper branches 

 very actively, while it utters a soft twittering cry. 



760.— Pyrrhulauda grisea, Scop. 



Male, Tarai, December. — Length, 5; expanse, 9'8 ; wing, 

 3*02 ; tail, 1*93 ; tarsus, 0*7 ; closed wings short of tail, 0'6. 



Bill pale greyish horny ; irides reddish brown ; feet 

 fleshy. 



This little Lark was common in the plains and Tarai of 

 Nepal in winter, frequenting the roads and fields. 



761.— Oalandrella brachydactyla, Tem. 



Three males, Valley, October. — Length, 6'2 to 6"3 ; expanse, 

 11-7 to 12; wing, 3-8 to 3-9 ,- tail, 2-2 to 2-5 ; tarsus, OS to 

 0-9 ; bill from gape, 0-55 to 0-57 ; bill at front, 0-43 to 0'44. ; 

 closed wings short of tail, 0"55 to 0*75 ; hind toe and claw, 

 0-67 to 0-7; weight, 09 to 1-Ooz. 



Female, Valley, October. — Length, 6*2 ; expanse, 11"5 ; wing, 

 3'7 ; tail, 2*2 ; tarsus, 0*8 ; bill from gape, 0-55 ; bill at front, 

 0*43; closed wings short of tail, 0*7 ; iiind- toe and claw, 0"65 ; 

 weight, 0'9oz. 



Bill yellowish fleshy, dusky on culmen and black at tip ; 

 irides brown ; feet fleshy; claws horny brown. 



These birds differ greatly from the specimens of C. brachy- 

 dactyla which I obtained in Eastern Turkistan and Ladak, and 

 I can find no specimens in Mr. Hume's museum to match them. 

 They are large, brightly coloured, and very rufous in tone, 

 the upper surface closely resembling some of the brighter 

 examples of Alauda gulgula. The bill is shorter, deeper, and 

 more stout than in any examples of brachydactyla I have seen. 

 Mr. Ball (S. F., IL, p. 423) gives the bill from gape of two 

 specimens of brachydactyla as 065, and my birds from Tur- 

 kistan and Ladak have the bills measured in the same way, 

 0-6 to 0'63; in the Nepal birds the bills measure 0'55 to 0'57. 

 This does not seem a great difference when reduced to figures, 

 but comparing specimens the difference is very marked, not 

 only in length but in depth. My Nepal specimens agree 

 exactly with Mr. Hodgson's plate of Alauda conostoma, which 

 has been supposed to represent brachydactyla, and have the 

 hind claw no longer than in the latter species ; they have no 

 spots or streaks on the throat and breast. 



