THE BIRDS OF MESOPOTAMIA. 239 
elsewhere (as noted by Buxton and Pitman), flocks being seen in February when 
most of the resident birds have paired off ; Cumming, who noted the same thing 
at Fao, states that these winter visitors come in August and leave in April. 
The breeding season commences at the end of March ; the earliest nest con- 
tained three eggs on the 30th. Pitman, who found 39 nests, says many have nests 
and some are sitting by the middle of April and he notes young hatched on May 
29th ; so that it seems certain that at least two broods are hatched out. The 
usual clutch is four or five and Logan Home several times found six in a nest. 
The nest, rather untidy and scanty, consists of dry bents, dirty straw, etc., and 
is placed in any convenient hollow such as a hoof mark. under a tuft of grass, 
or on bare ground concealed by grass, clods of earth, or bushes. 
As in other races, this bird is a mimic of other birds. Pitman noted that it 
often perches on walls, low bushes, telegraph wires, etc., and does good by feeding 
on the maggots of flies. Many of them are subject to attacks by ticks and are 
much affected by heat, and then they seek the shade of tents and water courses 
in lieu of trees. 
Thirty-five skins examined: From every month except May, June and Sep- 
tember and from throughout our area from Samarra in the north to Basra and 
Shustar in the south ; 20 males, 8 females, 7 unsexed. 
Wings of males 107—113 mm., of females 98-5—104 mm. Bills (exposed) both 
sexes 17—18°5 mm., 19—22-5 mm. from base. 
These Crested Larks are so near magna that I hesitate to separate them and 
with this Dr. Hartert agrees. Jf anything they run rather smaller than the 
majority of magna but there is a big overlap. Wings of magna (Afghanistan, 
Beluchistan, etc.) which I have measured run 105—117 (once 120 mm.) and it will 
be seen that some of our Mesopotamian birds are smaller than this and none 
reach the extremely large measurements some magna shew. In coloration fresh 
moulted birds are quite like fresh moulted magna, but when a little worn most of 
our birds seem a trifle browner, less sandy yellow on the upperparts and the larger 
markings of these parts make them appear somewhat darker. One must allow 
for a certain amount of individual variation and certainly a good many of our 
birds could not be picked out from a series of magna. I have compared our 
series with the topo-types of brachyura, twanowi and subtaurica and they certainly 
do not belong to any of these races. In Orn. Monats, 29, Kolibay separated 
as weigoldi the Crested Lark from Urfa (on one pair and two of doubtful sex). 
I have seen no specimens from this place but from the description they appear 
to be the same birds as ours. If any one considers the above characters as suffici- 
ently distinctive then our Crested Lark muststand as weigoldi, but I am in- 
clined to treat this name as a synonymn of magna. 
41. Sky Lark. Alauda arvensis. 
(1) Alauda arvensis dulcivox, Brooks (Stray Feathers, i, p. 484, 1873— 
Alpine region of N. India). 
(2) Alauda arvensis cantarclla, Bp. (Icon. ¥. Ital. Uccelli, Introd. p. 5 
1832—41 Italy). 
The Sky Lark is a common winter visitor to the Mesopotamian plains frequent- 
ing desert, plough and green crops, preferring open country to gardens. It arrives 
at the end of October and Pitmanon the Adhaim river noted flocks flying 
south till November 7th. It is recorded from most suitable localities as far 
south as Amara and it is probably pure chance that there are no records 
from Basra district, as it occurs at Ahwaz and Bushire. Cheesman says 
that the Sky Lark is a serious pest in some districts, as at Sheik Saad, where 
large flocks cleared off acres of beet root and cabbage seedlings ;no method 
of prevention was found to be efficacious, both guns and two men per acre to 
scare the birds off proving useless ; he noted however that seedlings with more 
than four leaves are practically immune. The only plan which seems to offer 
