355 



CALANDKELLA PISPOLETTA. 



(PALLAS'S SHORT-TOED LARK.) 



Alauda pispoletta, Pall. Zoog. Rosso-As. i. p. 526. no. 154, "Southern Russia" (1831). 

 Alauda pispoletta, Pall., Bp. Comp. List Birds of Eur. & N. Amer. p. 37. no. 250, "Eastern 



Europe" (1838). 

 Calandritis pispoletta, Cab. jVXus. Hein. i. p. 122 (1850-51). 



Alauda brachydaetyla, Swinhoe, Ibis, 1861, p. 255, "Talien Bay, China" (nee Leisler). 

 % Alauda (Phileremos) brachydaetyla, Radde, Reis. im Siid. v. Ost-Sibir. ii. p. 150, " Tarei-nor" 



(1863, nee Leisl.). 

 Calandrella pispoletta (Pall.), Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 1863, p. 271, "Talien Bay, North China." 

 Alaudula cheleensis, Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 1871, p. 390, "Talien Bay; not rare at Pekin: 



Mongolia." 



3 ad. supra sordide fuscus, griseo adumbratus : plumis omnibus medialiter nigro-fusco notatis : remigibus 

 sordide nigro-fuscis, extus albido marginatis, secundariis medialiter saturatioribus et pallidius margi- 

 natis, tertiariis brevioribus quam in Calandrelld brachydaetyla : tectricibus alarum fuscis, pallide 

 brunneo marginatis : rectricibus externis albis, in pogonio interno linea nigricante brunnea notatis, 

 sequentibus in pogonio interno nigricanti-brunneis et in pogonio externo albis, rectricibus centralibus 

 nigricanti-brunneis vix pallide brunneo lavatis et terminatis : loris et regione ophthalrnica ochraceo- 

 albidis stria ejusdem coloris per oculum ad nucbam products, : mento et gula albis : facie laterali brunneo 

 notata : subtus albidus, pectore et hypochondriis vix fulvescente adumbratis et fusco striolatis : rostro 

 pallide corneo : iride brunnea : pedibus pallide brunneis. 



$ ad. mari similis. 



Adult Male (Volga, April) . Upper parts dark earth-grey, the feathers having a central dark mark ; quills 

 dark brown, edged with dirty white ; secondaries darker in the centre and lighter towards the edge, the 

 inner secondaries much shorter than in C. brachydaetyla, reaching only to within about an inch of the 

 tip of the first primary; wing-coverts dark brown, broadly edged with light earth-brown; outermost 

 tail-feathers white, having a black line on the inner web, the next in order blackish brown on the inner 

 web, white on the outer web, the remainder blackish brown, imperceptibly edged with pale earth-brown, 

 the centre ones washed with light brown; above and below the eye a pale, dull, buff- white stripe; chin 

 white; sides of the neck spotted with dark brown; auriculars marked with brown; underparts white on 

 the breast, and flanks striped with dark brown ; beak dull horn-colour ; legs light brown ; iris dark 

 brown. Total length 6 - 6 inches, culmen 0'5, wing 3'8, tail 2'3, tarsus - 85, hind toe with claw 0'6. 



Female. Similar to the male, but somewhat smaller in size. 



The present species, closely allied to the Lesser Short-toed Lark, and more distantly related to 

 the Common Short-toed Lark, is found in South-eastern Europe, and ranges eastward to China. 

 Having been confused with Calandrella brachydaetyla by many naturalists, it is by no means easy 



