THE BIRDS OF MESOPOTAMIA. 237 
hebraica run up to 137 mm. Nor can I find any difference in wing measurements 
between calandra and psammochroa ; in the two sexes the wings range from 118. 
—142 (22 from Europe) and 120—138 mm. (Persia, Turkestan, etc.). Bills are 
very variable apart from sex in all these races, some are large, some small ; 
some high and stout; some long and thinner, and I can state with some 
confidence there is no difference in wing length in the three races. 
36. Bimaculated Lark. Melanocorypha bimaculata. 
Melanocorypha bimaculata bimaculata (Menetr.) (Cat. Rais., p. 37, 
1837—Talysh). 
The only record of this species is from Cheesman who on April 19th found 
several pairs evidently breeding in well clothed desert country along the Samarra- 
Tekrit railway, and obtained a specimen which belongs to the typical form. It 
has been recorded from Shustar on March 21st and is entered as a winter visitor 
by Zarudny to the Karun area. As both species of this large Lark breed in Meso- 
potamia, I must warn oologists, though it should not be necessary, to obtain the 
bird with any eggs they take. 
37- Short-toed Lark. Calandrella brachydactyla. 
(1) Calandrella brachydactyla brachydactyla (Leisler). (Ann. d. Wetter. 
Ges, iii, p. 357, 1814—Montpellier, 8. France). 
(2) Calandrella brachydactyla longipennis (Eversm). (Buli. Soc. Imp, 
d. Nat. Moskow, xxi, p. 219, 1848—Dzungharia, E. Turkestan), 
(1) No observers distinguished between this species and the Lesser 
Short-toed Lark in the field and so it is impossible to do more than state that 
Pitman met with a few, which had just arrived, on October 16th and 17th at 
Samarra and obtained two specimens belonging to this race. Weigold got 
several specimens in the Urfa district where he says it was very common 
between April 18th and May 2nd. 
The status requires further investigation. 
(2) Cumming obtained a typical specimen of this race at Fao on September 
25th, 1886. It is in the British Museum where I have examined it. 
38. Lesser Short-toed Lark. Calandrella minor. 
(1) Calandreila minor heinet. (Hom.) (J. F. O., 1873, p. 197—Volga). 
(2) Calandretia minor minor (Cab.) (Mus. Hein. I, p. 123, 1851—N. E. 
Africa). 
(1) Pitman’s notes apparently mostly refer to this race of which he obtained. 
a large series. He says they arrived in large flocks about the middle of 
October and from the 26th onwards thousands were passing to the south in 
the Samarra district. They were exceedingly plentiful in this district from 
mid-November till the middle of February when they began to disappear and. 
by theend of the month most had gone. A few were noted on March 15th—19th 
in the Baghdad area and the last recorded was on the 23rd at Feluja. During 
the winter at Samarra they frequented a bare plain where there had been grass, 
etc., in flocks of thousands and were distinguished by their noisy chirping and 
dipping flight. 
Buxton says this race was not common round Amara itself but he found it 
common in small flocks out in the desert among Sueda bushes in winter. It 
is probably common in suitable places throughout the countzy. I obtained 
one from a large flock of mostly minor minor at Basra on November in a short 
grass field and Cheesman obtained several specimens on the Tigiris in the Shiek 
Saad—Azizieh district. 
19 specimens examined: Samarra district, 26-10 to 21-12-17 (11 skins) 
Feluja, 23-3-17 (2 skins) (C. R. P.); Amara, 16-12-17 . A.B.); @ Azizieh, 
8-1-15 (2 skins); Sheik Saad, 1-11-16 ; Twin Canals, 1-12-16 (P. Z. C. and. 
