alaudin.e. 437 



The Laege Ceested Lark. 



Descr. — Pale earthy or sandy brown, rufesceni on the feathers 

 of the upper parts, with pale dusky mesial streaks : :_e zithers 

 of the crest alone, with dark brown centres; wings somewhat 

 rnfescent ; upper tail-coverts the same, as are the lower surface of 

 the wings and tail; outermost tail-feather rnfescent white, the 

 next with a border of the same on its outer web. the four middle 

 feathers colored like the back, and the rest of the tail blackish ; 

 supercilia and lower parts sullied white, with a few brown 

 streaks on the breast. 



Bill yellowish: feet pale brown: irides dark brown. Length 7- 

 to li inches ;. wing -4 to 4J- ; tail '2\ to 2| : bill at front f : 

 tarsus 1. 



The crested Lark is widely spread over all the South of Europe, 

 North Africa, and a great part of Ash : and it is found throughout 

 all India, most abundant in the Xorth and Xorth-wes:. I: is rare 

 in the Carnatic, not found in Malabar, more common in the 

 Deccan, and thence spreading from Behar in the East, te Sindh and 

 the Punjab, where very common. It is not known in Be::_:.-. 

 nor in the Himalayas, nor in the countries :: :__r eastwards 

 It prefers dry open sandy plains, or ploughed land, to gi 

 wet meadows, or cultivation. It rises in the air singing, though 

 not so high as A., gulgula, nor is its song so fine. In winter, it 



may be seen in small parties, or sometimes in consi_e::. »le i :-, 



occasionally on roads and barren places. Theobald found the nest 

 and e^iis, the former, a little grass, in a hole in the ground, the 

 eirss four, vellowish-white, uniform- y :: : :.:.ed with greyish-yellow 

 and neutral-tint. It is frequently . .._ . in all parts of the 

 country, and the bird is kept in darkness by several layers of 

 cloth wrapped round the _: ; the eustom being : wrap an 

 additional cover Tound the cage every year. In this state 

 sinas very sweetly, and learns to imital - jxaetly the 



notes of various other birds, and of animals, such as the 

 velpinir i - the call of a hen to her 



chickens :. Es - wintry 



differ somewhat in the depth of colour, some being lighter 

 than others : and Mr. Blyth, from a small and ca_ inien, 



