1847.] New or Little Known Species of Birds. -137 



Bay of Bengal, down to the Straits of Malacca ; and (as Mr. Eyton 

 remarks) it is probably the Sumatran Alauda pratensis apud Raffles. 



7. A. agilis, Sykes. Until recently, Mr. Jerdon and myself have 

 referred the preceding species to this one ; but Mr. Strickland (to whom 

 Mr. Jerdon sent specimens of the former) pronounces them to be dis- 

 tinct, and I am unacquainted with the true agilis of the Deccan. 



8. A. rufulus, Vieillot. Nearly allied to A. malayensis, but distin- 

 guished by its larger size, much shorter hind-claw, and by the absence, 

 frequently, of any spots on the breast, which, when they occur, are 

 few in number, small and inconspicuous : the dark centres of the 

 dorsal feathers are also obscure, or even obsolete ; but a narrow dark 

 central streak to each feather is more or less developed on the crown. 

 Length six inches and three-quarters, by ten and three-quarters ; closed 

 wing three inches and a half ; tail two and a half : hind-claw seldom 

 exceeding three-eighths of an inch. From the bare stony plains of the 

 central table-land of the peninsula of India ; and I recently obtained 

 a few on similar ground near Midnapore. 



9. A. pratensis, (L.) Mr. Gould has seen specimens of this com- 

 mon British species from Western India, according to Mr. Yarrell, 

 1 British Birds,' I. 392.* 



10. A. aquaticus (?), Bechstein : if distinct, A. roseatus, Hodgson. f 

 Mr. Hodgson sent this bird under two or three names ; but on careful 

 comparison of many, and looking particularly to the growing feathers of 



. moulting birds, I am satisfied of the series being throughout specifi- 

 cally identical. They also accord with my recollection of the European 

 A. aquaticus (nee obscurus of Britain), respecting which Mr. Gould (as 

 cited by Mr. Yarrell), remarks : — " We have some reason to believe that 

 there are two species of Rock Pipits nearly allied to each other, as we 

 have never been able to find in any of the examples killed in the British 

 Islands that uniform vinous tint we have observed to pervade the breast 

 of continental examples ; neither have we been able to meet with any 

 specimens in continental collections, that strictly accord with the dull 

 and indistinct markings of those of the British Islands :" to which I 



* Mr. Gray refers the A. hortulanus, Hodgson, n. s., to this species ; but the specimens 

 which Mr. H. presented to this Society by the name cited, were decidedly of the 

 Indian type of A. arboreus, to which the appellation hortulanus is better applicable. 



t This Mr. (J ray refers to A. cervinus ; Matacilla cervina, Pallas : A. rufogularis, 

 Brehm. 



