377 



MELANOCOBYPHA YELTONIENSIS. 



(BLACK LARK.) 



Alauda yeltoniensis, Forst. Phil. Trans, lvii. p. 350 (1767, descr. orig.). 



Alauda mutabilis, S. G. Gmelin, N. Comm. Acad. Sci. Imp. Petrop. xv. tab. xxiii. fig. 2 (1771, 



descr. orig.). 

 Alauda tatarica, Pallas, Reise Puss. Reichs, ii. Anhang, p. 707 (1773, descr. orig.). 

 Tanagra siberica, Sparrm. Mus. Carls, i. no. 19 (1786, descr. orig.). 

 Le Tracal, Levaill. Ois. d'Afr. iv. p. 119, pi. 191 (1805). 

 Alauda nigra, Steph. Gen. Zool. xiv. p. 25 (1826, ex Levaill.). 

 Melanocorypha tartarica, Boie, Isis, 1828, p. 322. 

 Saxilauda tartarica, Less. Compl. Buff. 1837. 



lavoronok Tschernoi, Russian. 



Figurce notabiles. 



Sparrm. Mus. Carls, i. pi. 19 (6); Vieill. Gal. des Ois. pi. 160 (d); Gould, B. of Eur. iii. 

 pi. 161 (3 et d juv.) (nee ?); Bree, B. of Eur. iii. p. 193 (d). 



cT cestiv. omnino niger, marginibus plumarum fulvescentibus varius : subtus omnino niger. 



d Mem. omnino niger, passim marginibus fulvescentibus obscurus. 



2 cestiv. fulvescens, plumis basi brunneis, dorso imo et capite summo cum scapularibus plus minusve brunneo 

 variis : tectricibus alarum nigricanti-brunneis, medianis dorsalibus rufescentibus, extus fulvo marginatis : 

 remigibus brunneis, secundariis saturatioribus anguste fulvescenti-albo marginatis, primariis latius : 

 cauda, brunnea, versus apicem cinerascente, fulvo limbata; rectricibus, duabus externis exceptis, albo 

 marginatis : loris et supercilio distincto albidis : genis et regione auricular! brunneis, fulvo variis : 

 gutture cum colli lateribus et pectore medio toto albo : pectore superiore maculis brunneis subtriquetris 

 vario : hypochondriis vix rufescentibus brunneo striolatis : subcaudalibus albis, paullo brunneo variis : 

 subalaribus nigris. 



$ hiem. similis prscedenti, sed plumis omnibus late fulvescenti-albo marginatis, itaque ptilosis albescentior 

 videtur : tectricibus alarum albido late marginatis : remigibus brunneis, secundariis rufo tinctis et albo 

 marginatis : cauda. brunnea, versus apicem rufescente et albido marginata : subtus alba, pectore 

 superiore punctulis parvis brunneis vario : hypochondriis fulvescentibus pallide brunneo striatis. 



Male in summer plumage. Everywhere jet-black, with a few very narrow sandy edgings to the feathers ; 

 the underside often quite black, but the back always retaining some of the light sandy edgings. Total 

 length 7 - 5 inches, culmen - 7, wing 5 - 3, tail 3 - 0, tarsus I/O. 



Male in winter plumage. Black as in the summer dress, but has the whole body also thickly covered with 

 sandy edgings to the feathers. 



