366 



what of a striped appearance, all the plumes edged with fulvous grey, more especially those of the 

 interscapulary region ; least wing-coverts grey like the back, the median and greater coverts dark brown 

 in the centre with very narrow but distinct fulvous edgings ; quills dark brown, the primaries margined 

 with dull white on the outer web, the smaller primaries edged with isabelline colour and very con- 

 spicuously tipped with white, forming a distinct alar bar, the innermost secondaries tinged with greyish 

 and margined with fulvous ,• tail for the most part dark brown, the two centre feathers broadly washed 

 with rufous, the two outer feathers white, with a tinge of isabelline, only the basal portion of the inner 

 web pale brown, the next two feathers for the most part dark brown, the outer edge and the tip of the 

 inner web whitish, all the rest of the feathers tipped with whitish ; lores and a distinct eyebrow white ; 

 feathers round the eye and cheeks greyish white, the latter speckled with brown ; ear-coverts greyish 

 brown ; sides and back of the neck rather paler greyish brown than the rest of the back ; under surface 

 of the body white, the upper breast slightly tinged with fulvous, and covered with minute longitudinal 

 streaks of dark brown ; the flanks greyish, strongly tinged with isabelline ; on each side of the neck a very 

 large patch of black, which does not meet across the front of the chest; under wing-coverts white, 

 slightly tinged with buff; under wing-coverts greyish black ; beak brown, the lower mandible reddish ; 

 feet livid red; iris blackish. Total length 7*8 inches, culmen 0-75, wing 5'3, tail 2 - 8, tarsus 1-05. 



Female. Similar to the male in all respects, but having the black patch on each side of the chest smaller. 



Autumn plumage. Apparently a little more rufous. 



Young. Similar to the adults, but darker above, the feathers margined with buff and tipped with white; 

 the spots on the breast less distinct, and the black patches much less developed ; bill and feet yellowish. 



The Calandra Lark is an inhabitant of Southern Europe, only occurring as a rare and accidental 

 visitant in the northern portions of the continent. It has been found in most of the countries 

 along the Mediterranean basin, but is rare in Egypt. It extends into Southern Russia and 

 perhaps Persia, but the species of the latter country may be M. bimaculata (Menetr.). This 

 latter bird, though really very distinct, has never been well identified as an inhabitant of Eastern 

 Europe, and we yet require positive information respecting the ranges of these two species of 

 Calandra Larks. 



The present bird has been twice known to have occurred in England. Mr. J. Gatcombe 

 found one in a bird-stuffer's shop at Plymouth, which had been obtained in that neighbourhood, 

 and it is therefore included in Mr. J. Brooking Eowe's book on the Birds of Devon ; while the 

 second supposed example is in the collection of Mr. Byne, a gentleman who is fast gathering 

 together a good series of British birds : it was said to have been obtained near Exeter. Mr. C. F. 

 Dubois has recorded a Calandra Lark as having been caught near the town of Brussels, in October 

 1855. Naumann says it has been several times procured in Austria, and once near Frankfort- 

 on-the-Maine, but never in Holland or northern Germany. Borggreve states, on Dr. Gloger's 

 authority, that it has once been procured in Silesia. In France, Degland and Gerbe say 

 it is " common in certain localities of the departments of Var, Herault, Bouches du Rhone. 

 According to Lesson it appears sometimes in the departments of Deux-Sevres and Charante- 

 Inferieure." Jaubert and Barthelemy-Lapommeraye state that it is " found in Provence, in the 

 Camargue and Crau, and on the borders of the Durance and Verdun. Here it is sedentary, 

 nor is it seen migrating at other places." Lord Lilford tells us that he found the present species 



