404 NoTES ON SOME BIRDS COLLECTED ON THE NILGHIRIS 
retreat when alarmed. Although associating in flocks, they 
seem to act to a great extent independently of one another, for 
coming upon a flock, they do not all rise simultaneously but 
singly or in pairs, and so on. 
755.—Mirafra affinis, Jerd. The Madras Bush 
Lark 
This Lark occurs round the base of the Nilghiris, and I found 
it rather numerous about Gundalupet and Muddur in_ the 
Mysore country. It frequents stony ground and ploughed land, 
and is partial to coming on to the roads. When approached 
it usually runs for a short distance a foot or two, and then 
squats close to the ground, and only when directly and very 
closely approached does it fly. I have passed one squatting 
within a yard, and it has not attempted to fly. Its flight is 
undulating and rather weak. It has the usual habit of the 
genus of rising a few feet into the air singing, and then 
descending with a quivering motion of the wings, usually 
alighting on a bush, 
The following are the dimensions taken in the flesh of four 
specimens :— 
Length, 5°4 to 5:9; expanse, 10°4 to 11:0; tail, 1°6 to 1:9 ; 
wing, 3:0 to 33; tarsus, 10 to 1°01; bill from gape, 0°6 to 
0:7; weight, 0°75 to 1:0 oz. 
Irides vary from burnt sienna to cinnamon brown ; legs, 
feet, lower mandible, gape, and edge of upper mandible along 
commissure fleshy ; rest of upper mandible brown; claws bluish 
horny. 
760.—Pyrrhulauda grisea, Scop. The Black-bellied 
Finch Lark. 
I only met with this species in Mysore, and only in those 
places that were arid and stony. As remarked by Jerdon, 
it is particularly partial to roads. When approached it squats 
close to the ground, and, asa rule, allows of a very near ap- 
proach. It keeps entirely to the low country, and does not, 
1 believe, ascend the hills at all. . 
765.—Spizalauda deva, Sykes. The Small Crown-crest. 
This Lark was not at all uncommon between Gundalupet and 
Muddur in Mysore, frequenting the grassy plains, cultivated 
land, edges of roads, &c. It rises to a good height in the air 
singing (but not so high as d. gulgula). It has much the 
‘same habit as A. gulgula. I found it usually in pairs. The 
following are the dimensions of three specimens, two males 
