1869.] of Central, Western and Southern India. 185 



difficulty concerning which is the measurements,) it appears highly 

 probable that I>r. Jerdon was perfectly right, and that this bird is really 

 the Malabar lark. I think this is a more satisfactory view than to 

 propose a new name for the Khandalla bird on the chance of its being 

 distinct, though I fear the latter is the usual practice with some orni- 

 thologists. I grant that Sonnerat's figure resembles Spizalauda deva 

 and the Nilgiri variety of Alauda gulgula quite as much as it does the 

 present species, but until it has been clearly proved which of the three 

 is the common crested lark of Malabar, it is best not to alter the 

 existing nomenclature on the chance of its being wrong. I according- 

 ly give a description of the Khandalla bird, which may stand as 

 A. Malabarica, until it is proved that that bird is a distinct species. 



Top of head with lengthened pointed crest very dark brown, the 

 feathers very narrowly edged but not tipped with fulvous. Sides of 

 head and back of neck much lighter in colour than the cap, rather pale 

 fulvous supercilium, lores rather darker, and ear coverts also. Back 

 and sides of neck rufescent fulvous with rather broad median dusky 

 streaks, and the feathers not broader near the base than towards the 

 point. Back and wing coverts deep brown with very narrow greyish 

 edgings, some of the greater coverts more broadly margined. Quills 

 dusky brown, primaries and secondaries rufous on the inner edge and 

 more narrowly externally, under wing coverts also rufous. Tail 

 middle feathers dusky with pale margins, the remainder deep blackish 

 brown, all narrowly tipped fulvous, the outermost but one with a broad 

 fulvous margin and the outermost almost entirely fulvous. Beneath, 

 chin and upper throat dirty white, breast pale fulvous with broadish 

 dusky streaks forming the centre of each feather, a dark patch on each 

 side of the neck just where the streaks begin ; abdomen and under tail 

 coverts fulvescent. 



Length (taken in the flesh) 6 \ inches, wing 3 f , tail 2, tarsus f , 

 bill at front T % hind toe 0.3, claw 0.4. In other specimens the wing 

 is only 3 J to 3 ■§■. 



765. Spizalauda deva, Sykes. This bird must be rare about 

 Nagpiir and Chanda, for I only once obtained a specimen which was 

 shot near Edlabad, west of Chanda. 



756. Mirafra erythroptera, Jerdon. I met with this 



bird not unfrequently in low jungle and on the skirts of the forest 



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