122 ITALIAN SKYLARK. 



is observable. The English skins of arvensis are dark grey from the 

 throat to the under tail coverts, the spots being of a rufous brown, 

 giving to the whole under surface a dark dingy colour. In cantarella, 

 on the other hand, the groundwork is much lighter, — in fact, quite 

 white on the abdomen and throat; the spots are dark hair brown, 

 while there is a band of rufous more or less distinct across the crop. 



Placed on their bellies, the lighter colour of cantarella, and the 

 more distinct contrast between the dark longitudinal streaks or spots 

 and the rufous-tinged groundwork is striking and unmistakable. 

 Arvensis, seen above, is a dark rufous, with the longitudinal spots 

 running into it so as to give the whole a more uniform appearance, 

 with an indistinct separation of the colours, while in cantarella, so 

 seen, the contrast, as above stated, is marked. 



A male bird, killed at Beersheba on the 2nd. of March, 1864, 

 kindly sent me by Canon Tristram, has the under parts yellowish 

 white, with distinct spots on each side of the throat, leaving the 

 latter clear, and dark hair-brown stripes on the lower anterior neck 

 and crop, and at the base of the latter a transverse band of rufous; 

 tail feathers below and wing lining silky grey, with the under wing 

 coverts and shoulders white. Flanks greyish white, except where 

 crossed by the rufous band above. The upper parts light rufous 

 groundwork, with distinct brownish black longitudinal bands more 

 pronounced on the head, less shown on the nape, broader and more 

 mingled together on the back and upper tail coverts. Primaries slaty 

 brown, with the outer webs bordered with white; the second, third, 

 and fourth true primaries cut away at the end. Secondaries darker 

 brown, with light dusky rufous borders and white tips. Greater 

 wing coverts dark brown, with dusky rufous borders all round. Upper 

 tail feathers dark brown, with lighter edges; the inner dark brown 

 entirely, and the outer white, with a light brown mark on the inner 

 web, the second on each side having the outer web white. Beak 

 horn-colour. Legs light brown, feet darker. Length six inches, beak 

 from gape half an inch, tarsus nine tenths of an inch, hind claw 

 half an inch. 



The bird figured, a male, and the egg, were kindly sent to me by 

 the Rev. Canon Tristram, and were taken in the Holy Land. The 

 sexes hardly differ from each other. 



