375 



It arrives in Southern Russia in the spring, much later than Alauda arvensis, and not until the 

 grass is green. It places its nest on the ground, and lays from four to five dark grey eggs, 

 spotted with dark brown." Mr. Artzibascheff (Bull. Soc. Mosc. 1859, ii. p. 58) writes that it is 

 " tolerably numerous in the low steppes of the Sarpa, less so in those of Ergheni ; it nests on 

 the ground, under a tussock or tuft of grass, in any slight depression in the soil, and deposits, 

 about the middle of April, from three to five eggs, which are white, dirty grey, or yellowish, 

 spotted with olive-brown, grey, or reddish markings of different shades, and of greater or smaller 

 size, and usually more numerous at the larger end ; sometimes the spots collect and form a ring 

 round the larger end of the egg; in size they vary from 22 to 24 millimetres in length and 16 

 to 17 millimetres in diameter." 



I have in my collection two eggs of this Lark, taken on the lower Volga, and obtained 

 through Mr. H. F. Moschler, which are dull greyish white, closely marked with dull brown, 

 resembling small eggs of M. calandra; in size they measure fo by fo and \% by f§ inch 

 respectively. 



The specimens figured are, in the foreground, an adult male, and in the background an adult 

 female, these being the specimens described, and, together with the young bird also described, 

 are in my collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens: — 



E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 



a, b,c, 8 . Haskeuy, Constantinople, February 17th, 1871. d, e, 6 ■ Ismidt, Asia Minor, February 20th, 1871. 

 /, 6. Pendik, Asia Minor, February 20th, 1871. g, h, $ . Havankeuy, Turkey, February 20th, 1871. 

 i, cJ. Ismidt, February 21st (Robson) . k, d. Crimea {Whitely). l,S,m,%. Volga, April, n, ?. Volga, 

 May. o,juv. Volga, July {Moschler). p, ?. Kokand, q. Kirghis steppes (Dode). 



