1872.] W. E. Brooks— Cashmir Birds. 85 



in June ; but I did not find the nest. Their shrill song consists of one or 

 two monotonous notes, frequently repeated from the top of some rock or 

 stone. 



Alauda guttata, sp. nov. 



Is the common skylark of the Cashmir plains. Larger than A. 

 gulgula, with a longer whig and tail ; not so rufous, and with a far bolder 

 mode of marking on the breast. At each side of the breast, the spots 

 coalesce and form a couple of dark patches like those of Galandrella 

 brachydactyla. This is not the case in A. gulgula. The white on the 

 outer tail feathers is also of a clean white, as in Alauda arvensis. From 

 the latter it is, however, quite distinct. I have several specimens of arvensis. 

 A. guttata is, with the exception of the excessively spotted breast, an 

 intermediate bird between A. arvensis and A. gulgula ; with a song, as 

 might be expected, equal to that of either. 



Description. Much less rufous than gulgula and of a darker and duller 

 brown above. The lower surface is also colder and greyer in tone. Tail 

 much whiter on outer feathers. Breast much more profusely and boldly 

 spotted and with generally a coalition of spots on each side, similar to that 

 of C. bracliydactyla. Length 63 to 69 ; wing 37 to 39 ; tail 26 to 2"8 

 inch. 



Dr. Jerdon has made great confusion amongst the larks by giving A. 

 dulcivox, Hodgs., as a synonym of A. triborJiyncha, BZodgs. Mr. Hodgson's 

 drawings shew them to be quite distinct. A. dulcivox is a very large lark, 

 measuring 7\ inches long ; wing 4^ ; tail 2 £§ . Breast spotted as in arven- 

 sis. In character it is tbe only lark which closely approaches arvensis. A. 

 triborliynclia is, as far as I can ascertain from Mr. Hodgson's beautifully 

 finished drawing, identical with A. gulgula ; and so is Alauda orientalis, 

 vel leiopus of Hodgson. — Dimensions of triborliynclia : Length Q>\ and 6i ; 

 tail 2-g- and 2 T 3 g-. The drawing shews the wing of triborliynclia to be 2>\ 

 inches, and that of orientalis to be not quite 3f inches which is the range 

 the wing of gulgula is subject to. The tails also agree with that of gul- 

 gula, and the coloring agrees exactly. 



I am satisfied that the Cashmir bird is distinct ; for independently of 

 size it differs by the peculiarly dark grey hue. There is another large 

 lark found up the Scind valley at Sonamurg, which may turn out to be 

 Hodgson's large species A. dulcivox. Capt. Cock took several nests of this 

 bird and the eggs are large and well marked, but I regret to say, he did not 

 bring a specimen of the bird itself.* 



* I have since received several specimens of A. dulcivox from Aniritsar and Nao- 

 shera, collected by Capt. Marshall and Capt. Cock in the cold season. Length 7 5 to 

 7 - 7, wing 4>'4> to 4'7 inch. It is a finer and larger lark than arvensis. 



