426 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



761. Calandrella brachydactyla, Temminck. 



Alauda, apud Temminck — Hohsf., Cat. 714 — Al. calandrella, 

 Bonelli — Blyth, Cat. 736 — Alauda dukhunensis, Sykes, Cat. 

 99 — Jerdon, Cat. 187 —A. arenaria, Stephens — Emberiza bag- 

 haira, Franklin — E. olivacea, Tickell — Baghaira, or Bag- 

 lieyri or Baghoda, H. — Ortolan of Europeans in India. 



The Short-toed or Social Lark. 



Descr. — Upper parts pale rufescent sandy, streaked with dusky; 

 a stripe over the eye, and the ■whole under parts, fulvous-white, 

 tinged with earthy brown on the breast, which is spotless in some, 

 in a few slightly spotted ; wings dusky brown, with fulvous edg- 

 ings, broader and deeper-colored on the tertiaries, and on the 

 tips of the coverts, and with a whitish edge to the first developed 

 primary ; tail dusky, the penultimate feather having the outer web 

 white-edged, and the outermost feather with the outer web wholly 

 white to near the base, and also some of the inner web. In old or 

 worn plumage the dusky tinge prevails on the back, the breast has 

 some narrow dusky streaks, and a patch of the same appears on 

 each side of the lower part of the foreneck ; this is also slightly 

 observable in newly moulted specimens. 



Bill whitish horny, dusky on the ridge of upper inaudible ; legs 

 brownish, darker at the joints ; irides dark brown. Length 6| 

 inches ; wing 4 ; tail 2£ ; tarsus -^ ; hind toe with claw about T 6 n . 



This species is widely distributed throughout Asia, Europe, and 

 Africa, and has even been once killed in Britain. It is found 

 throughout India, more rare to the extreme south, and it has not 

 been observed in Ceylon, but numerous in the Deccan, and thence 

 northwards to the foot of the Himalayas, but not in the countries 

 to the eastward. 



The short-toed Lark appears in India in October and November, 

 in flocks, frequenting the bare grass downs, frequently damp spots 

 near tanks, also grain fields and ploughed land, and it almost 

 always retires to cornfields or grass for shelter during the heat of 

 the day, whence it does not in general issue again till next morn- 

 ing, for they are seldom seen flying about or feeding in the 

 afternoon or evening. It feeds almost entirely on seeds : both 



