190 



DESERT LARK. 



Arabia Petrsea. It is sedentary, and breeds both in 

 the Algerian Sahara and in the wiklerness of Judtea, 

 in both which localities I have taken the nest, neatly 

 formed of grass, in a depression imder a tuft of 

 weeds, and with four eggs, in size nearly equal to 

 those of Alauda cristata, but never so elongated; 

 measuring eleven lines by eight, of a rich cream-colour, 

 blotched esj^ecially towards the large end with brown 

 and red spots. In its habits this very distinct species 

 exhibits, so far as I am aware, no distinctive peculi- 

 arities, living in small flocks, and poising itself in the 

 air like its congeners. Its notes are few, though not 

 unmelodious; but its song will bear no comparison 

 either in volume or sweetness with that of the Skylark. 

 It varies considerably in size, but its average length 

 is about six inches and a half." 



Dr. Leith Adams considers this bird as probably 

 identical with 31. Phcenicuroides , Blythe, "I. A. S. 

 Beng.," xxii, p. 583. It is found in Scinde and 

 Cashmere. Dr. Adams gives the following measurements 

 of the Indian species: — "Length about six inches; wing 

 three inches and one-sixth; first primary one inch and 

 one-eighth, being an inch and five-eighths shorter than 

 the second; the second is a quarter of an inch less 

 than the next three, which are equal; tail two inches 

 and three-quarters. Bill to gape five-eighths of an 

 inch; tarsus seven-eighths of an inch; hind claw five- 

 sixteenths of an inch. Legs brown." 



The male and female have the upper parts of a 

 beautiful glossy dark fawn-colour, very much like that 

 of our Almond Tumblers. The feathers shine and 

 decompose the light like shot silk. Primaries and tail 

 feathers brown, but bordered more or less deeply with 

 the prevailing isabelle tint; below, the colour, though 



