362 



Explanation of the Plate. The front figure represents the typical M . bimaculata, as we believe ; on the rock 

 to the right is seen a specimen of the rufous race found in Palestine by Canon Tristram. On the left 

 hand a specimen of the true Calandra Lark is seen with wings and tail extended to show the distinctive 

 characters by which it may always be told from its eastern representative. 



This species is closely allied to the Common Calandra Lark of Europe, but is readily distin- 

 guished by two very trenchant characters, viz. by the total absence of white tips to the small 

 wing-feathers, and by having all the tail-feathers tipped with white, whereas in the ordinary 

 European species the outer rectrix is nearly all white, and this colour gradually diminishes 

 towards the centre of the tail. 



The acquisition of several specimens from Turkestan, which M. Dode brought over on his 

 recent visit to England, enabled us to identify the true Alauda bimaculata of Menetries, a bird 

 which has puzzled a great many ornithologists, and which Mr. Blyth and other authors have 

 been disposed to refer to the genus Calandrella. A further examination of specimens enabled 

 us to refer the M. torquata of North-western India to the same species, as well as M. albotermi- 

 nata from North-eastern Africa ; so that it was found that the ordinary Calandra Lark is replaced 

 to the eastward by a nearly allied but perfectly distinct species, which ranges from Abyssinia 

 through Palestine into Central Asia and North-western India. The exact range of the Eastern 

 Calandra Lark has to be determined ; and future research must show where it meets with 

 M. calandra. The latter species occurs in the Crimea, Mr. H. J. Elwes having lent us two 

 specimens procured by himself on the battle-field of the Alma ; and since writing our account 

 of that bird, we have received from the same gentleman a specimen from Turkestan. We shall 

 not be surprised to hear that the indefatigable Mr. Hume has added the common species to the 

 avifauna of India ; and Captain Marshall and his other excellent correspondents in the North- 

 west Provinces should keep a look-out for the bird; for it is now tolerably certain that the 

 European Calandra Lark extends into Central Asia with M. bimaculata, though doubtless in 

 much smaller numbers than the last-named species. 



In his recent paper on the present bird (I. c), Sharpe was able to confirm the assumption 

 that M. rufescens of Brehm is also referable to the same species ; for Canon Tristram possesses 

 specimens from Palestine which appear to represent Brehm's species to a nicety. Concerning 

 these birds he writes in ' The Ibis ' for 1868 (p. 208) :— 



" Before concluding these notes on the Passerine birds of Palestine, I must state that, on 

 going through my collection recently in company with the editor of this journal, we were 

 satisfied that the Calandra Lark of Mount Hermon and Lebanon must be distinguished from the 

 Common Calandra of the plains and of Southern Europe. It is smaller and more slender, with a 

 very decided rufous tint on the whole of its plumage ; but especially the outer rectrices are 

 without any white, while in the true M. calandra (L.) the outer tail-feathers are wholly white. 

 But before describing the species as new, I am anxious to have an opportunity of examining 

 Persian and Afghan specimens." One of these birds is figured in our Plate ; and it will be seen 

 that it is rather more rufescent in colour than the typical bird in the foreground. Canon 

 Tristram, however, agrees with us that it is not specifically separable, despite its rufous coloration 

 and slightly slenderer bill ; and there can be no doubt that a great deal of the red colour is 

 derived from the nature of the ground it frequents. 



