Birds of Lucknow. 563 
sing extremely well, but eventually was killed and eaten by 
a snake, which got into its cage during the night. 
No. 861. Alauda gulgula. Indian Sky-Lark. 
Chundul [H.]. 
A fairly common and permanent resident, frequenting open 
plains, scrub-jungle, and grassy patches. Strangely, neither 
I nor anyone else that I know have come across the nest of 
this bird. 
No. 863. Calandrella dukhunensis. Rufous Short- 
toed Lark. 
Baghaira [H.]. 
A very common cold-weather visitor. It collects in large 
flocks on the open plains and in scrub- jungle, and also in 
grassy meadows or along the edges of jheels. As Reid 
remarked in his account of the Lucknow birds, this species 
^' is looked upon as common property by almost all the 
Hawk tribe.''^ This bird is the " Ortolan " of the Anglo- 
Indian. In all probability C. brachydactyla occurs in 
company with C. dukhunensis, but I have not, so far, come 
across a typical specimen. 
No. 869. "^MiRAFRA cANTiLLANs. Singing Bush-Lark. 
Possibly this species has been overlooked, but I do not 
think that it is often found here. It is very local in its 
distribution, and the only Lucknow specimen I know of is 
an adult skin (?sex) in the Museum. 
No. 871. MiRAFRA ERYTHROPTERA. Red-iotnged Bush- 
Lark. 
Aggia [H.]. Hooded Lark [Anglo-Indian boys] . 
A common and permanent resident, found in scrub and 
grassy wastes, dhak-jungle, and similar localities. It breeds 
from March to July, making a loose nest of grass, partly 
domed — whence the Martiniere name '' hooded '' — under a 
tuft of grass. I have never found more than two eggs — on one 
occasion one which was hard-set — but have had three brought 
to me, and am told that occasionally four are found. Two is, 
however, I think, the usual clutch with us. The eggs are 
SER. VIII. VOL. II. 2 p 
