LARK. 301 



colour ; the head cinereous grey ; through the eye a streak of black ; 

 throat and under parts black. 



Inhabits Gingi, and other parts of the coast of Coromandel. 



A. — Among the Indian drawings of Sir J. Anstruther, I find a 

 bird exactly corresponding, but with the addition of a patch of 

 white on the middle of the wing; legs long, hind toe and claw both 

 long, and the latter scarcely at all bent. 



38.— DESERT LARK. 



Alauda Desertorum, Desert Lark, Salt, Abyss. App. p. Ix. 



LENGTH eight inches. Bill, from the gape, one inch, in shape 

 not unlike that of the African Lark, but weaker, especially the under 

 mandible ; at the top a ridge, and the end curved downwards ; colour 

 pale brown, paler on the edge ; nostrils within a membrane, small, 

 but pervious ; head, neck, and back dun, or brownish buff-colour ; 

 under parts buff white ; chin, and under wing coverts white ; upper 

 wing coverts as the back, with pale margins and ends; scapulars the 

 same; most of the quills white for one-third from the base, then 

 dusky brown, with the ends, for half an inch, white; the five outer 

 dusky, the base only being white ; but the sixth is also white just at 

 the tip; tail three inches and a half long, in shape a trifle forked, 

 colour of the two middle feathers as the back, with red brown shafts, 

 the others dusky ; the outer web of the exterior wholly buff-white, 

 and the others fringed with the same ; all of them somewhat pointed 

 at the ends ; legs and claws pale, nearly white ; at first sight ap- 

 pearing for a quarter of an inch bare above the knee, but on close 

 inspection, will be found scantily covered with very short feathers, 

 between which the skin may be seen ; length of the shins one inch 



