396 



2 



gined with light brown, the former so broadly as to hide the black ; lower part of the breast and upper 

 flanks pale greyish brown. 



Obs. I observe that Dr. O. Finsch gives (Abh. naturw. Ver. Brem. ii. p. 351) Alauda bicornis, Ehr. MS., 

 as a synonym of Otocorys bilopha ; and it may therefore not be out of place to remark that I possess 

 one of Ehrenberg's original specimens labelled by him Alauda bicornis, without any particulars of 

 locality, which is undoubtedly referable to the present species, and not to O. bilopha. 



This southern and south-eastern representative of our common North-European Shore-Lark 

 inhabits the south-eastern portion of the Western Palsearctic Eegion, extending eastward into 

 Northern China. 



I cannot state with certainty that the present species inhabits the more elevated mountains 

 in Asia Minor, but think that it probably occurs there and may be met with in Southern 

 Russia. Canon Tristram has sent me a specimen from the Caucasus; and he met with it on 

 Mount Hermon, and writes (Ibis, 1866, p. 288) as follows: — " Of the beautiful Horned Larks, 

 Palestine affords the finest species, 0. penicillata, Gould, strictly confined to the edge of the 

 snow-line on the very summits of Hermon and Lebanon, where it consorts with Montifringilla 

 nivalis and Pyrrhocoranc alpinus. It was a beautiful sight to watch these Larks scattered all 

 over the dome of Hermon, warbling their rich, yet subdued, notes, with erected crest, on the 

 desolate tops of the rocks which strew the summit. In their action they are very unlike most 

 other Larks, and do not attempt to soar. Most of the nests were hatched when we arrived at 

 their breeding-place ; and we obtained only one sitting of eggs, very like those of 0. alpestris, 

 but larger, of a greenish white, thickly covered with grey-green blotches. The nests are very 

 compact and neat, deeper than those of any other Lark, and generally imbedded in a tuft of 

 Astragalus or Draba, finely lined with grass roots. This species does not assume a yellowish 

 face in the breeding-season ; but has the throat pure white. It may at once be distinguished 

 from every other by the great extent of black on its breast." It appears to be a common species 

 in Persia ; and Mr. Blanford brought back a large series from there. It was first described from 

 specimens sent from Erzeroum ; and Messrs. Dickson and Ross, writing on the ornithology of 

 that district, say (P. Z. S. 1839, p. 120) that it is "numerous. The specimens sent are not so 

 bright as the living bird, probably from the effect of the arsenical soap. The males differ from 

 the females in being of a brighter colour, and in having the black feathers on the top of the 

 head much more distinctly marked. The yellow gorget of both in winter is bright, and in 

 summer remarkably faint, while the purple on the nape is vice versa. During the hot months 

 they are found on the neighbouring mountains, from which they are driven down to the plain in 

 winter in quest of food, which consists then of the grain found in the dung of cattle, the ground 

 being at that time covered with snow several feet in depth. They fly in companies of from three 

 to twelve birds, and are very familiar, especially so in winter, when they may be killed easily with 

 an ordinary whip. When approched, or in the agonies of death, they erect their horn-shaped 

 crest quite perpendicularly, with the tips curved inwards. They run on the snow with surprising 

 rapidity; as soon as the snow has melted on the plain they return to the mountains." Dr. 

 Henderson (Lahore to Yarkand, p. 267) speaks of a Lark under the name of 0. longirostris, 

 which I believe to be the present species, and which he says " was met with from the first pass 

 above Le until the expedition left the Karakash valley going to Yarkand, and in the same 



