236 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol. XXVIII. 
The exact determination of this race is of considerable interest and further 
specimens are greatly desired. Between Shaiba and Persian Beluchistan there 
are no records of any Finch Lark. 
35. Calandra Lark. Melanocorypha calandra. ‘“Usawah.’’ 
(1) Melanocorypha calandra calandra (1..) (Syst. Nat. Ed. xii, p. 288, 
1766—Pyrenees). 
(2) Melanocorypha calandra psammochroa, Hart. (Vog. Pal. F., p. 210— 
Dur-Badom, Persia). 
This is evidently a local bird and much commoner above Baghdad on the 
uplands than below on the plains. Logan Home says it arrived at Tekrit in 
December in large flocks and paired off at the end of February ; he records that 
eggs were taken in this district—on March 29th a clutch of five, and another 
of four at the end of May ; at the nest the birds were very tame ; one was secured 
for identification. Cheesman found it plentiful on the hills and plateau at 
Kalat Sherghat early in December, and at Samarra Pitman saw large flocks and 
obtained several examples; here he found them in immense flocks from mid- 
November, when he arrived, till mid-March when he teft, though a good many 
moved away during February. They were very noisy and frequented mule 
lined, camps, litter roads, ete., and proved excellent eating! In the Adhaim 
area from September to mid-November and at Feluja from March to April he 
however never met with it. At Urfa Weigold found this Lark quite common 
in large flocks on passage in mid-April, but he obtained no specimens. Sassi, 
who examined four skins from Mosul, considered them to belong to the typical 
race, not to the eastern. 
From Baghdad southwards there are few records; Buxton met with a single 
bird at Kumait on February 28th and Cheesman found a few small parties at 
Twin Canals on December Ist. Entering the hill country again Witherby 
recorded it from Ahwaz on February 26th and Bailey obtained it at Shustar 
on February ist. Zarudny lists it as a winter visitor (Karun District). 
Eleven skins examined: ¢ 9, Shustar, 1-2-18 (F. M. B.); 4 ¢, Samarra, 
14-12-17; 29, 4-12-17, 31-12-17 (C. R. P.); 5, Shergat, 12-188, 2 , Twin Canals, 
1-12-16 (P. Z. C. and R. E. C.); one, Kumait, 28-2-18 (P. A. B.). 
In determining these birds I have examiued a very large series of Calandra 
Larks. Compared with European and with eastern skins (Persia, Turkestan, 
etc.), they correspond best with the latter (psammochroa), in being paler and 
yellower, especially on the ramp and mantle. than the western race ; one must 
be very careful in comparing these larks to compare birds in a similar state 
of wear ; it is true that psammochroa is on the whole a yellower bird than calandra 
but as time goes on (April-May) it also gets very grey, rather a paler grey than 
the western birds. Some birds partly worn (about December) in both races are 
difficult to tell and odd ones of our Mesopotamian birds might equally belong to 
either race. From Pitman’s observations it seems probable that some Calandra 
Larks are winter visitors and it is possible that these belong to the typical race 
which Sassi too recorded from Mosul. 
Birds which T have examined from Palestine (Sharon, Meroni, Bashan and 
Ludd (10 skins) are quite different to the Mesopotamian birds in being much 
more rufous brown, and in fresh feathers are very red brown, with red brown 
flanks ; these I take to be Meinerzhagen’s hebraica (Bull. B. O. C. XLI, p. 21): 
one bird too from Cyprus and one from Syria match them exactly, other Cyprus 
birds being calandra; on the other hand psammochroa is evidently also found 
in Palestine whence I have seen two examples (Jaffa, March 3rd, and Judea, 
February Ist). From Anatolia and Erzeroum I have seen the typical western 
form. Meinerzhagen (1. c.) seems to think that his hebraica has a shorter wing 
than psammochroa ; he gives for males 127—13] mm. as against 130—135 mm. 
in psammochroa. With this I cannot agree as those which I have examined of 
