6724 



Birds. 



from China as "sinensis," though probably brought from some iso- 

 lated spot in this vast Empire, or from some distant part of Thibet or 

 Manchuria, it is indeed a wonder that this poor little bird was passed 

 over, and not specified with some similar name. "Sinensis" would 

 certainly have been most erroneously applied in this instance, as 

 the bird is not found much above this province ; it is certainly not 

 found in Shanghai ; but it is abundant in various places in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Amoy, and particularly so in the plains on the western 

 side of Formosa ; and I found it nestling on the high hill of Kooshan, 

 at Foochow. How far South its range extends I cannot say. People 

 may, however, argue that if a bird comes from any part of China it 

 may be entitled to the name " sinensis." Such may be essentially 

 the fact ; but names are given to distinguish species, and surely most 

 birds have some peculiarity which could afford them a name. This 

 lark, which Mr. Blyth remarks is "probably new, but nearly akin to 

 Alauda malabarica and to A. dulcivox of Hodgson," I propose naming 

 Alauda ccelivox, and here give a short description of its characters. 



Alauda ccelivox, Sivinhoe. 



Vescr. — The bill is dark grayish brown above, with a pale yellowish 

 edge to the upper mandible ; the lower mandible is yellowish tipped 

 with brown. The inside of the mouth is flesh-colour, with pale king's 

 yellow on the rim and commissure, lrides are deep hazel. Feet and 

 claws light ochreous brown, the latter more or less tipped with brown. 

 Upper parts yellowish brown, with a tinge of red ; the central streak 

 of many of the feathers, and the greater part of others on the head 

 and back, being blackish brown. The quills are hair-brown, the 

 second feather having the outer web reddish white ; the other pri- 

 maries edged with a redder tinge, and the secondaries more broadly 

 with the same colour, the tips of both being whiter. The winglet is 

 marked in the same way, but the first and second coverts are some- 

 what whiter. The tail-feathers are also hair-brown, the middle ones 

 being very broadly edged with reddish brown, the others scarcely at 

 all. The outer feathers are white, with the exception of a small basal 

 portion of the inner web, which is brownish ; the adjacent feather has 

 also the greater part of its outer web white. There is an ochreous 

 streak over the eye, and another from the bill below round the ear- 

 coverts. The ear-coverts are reddish, but not more so than the top 

 of the head. Throat, belly and vent are ochreous white. The breast 

 and flanks are reddish brown, with a rusty tinge, the former spotted 

 with narrow arrow-head spots of blackish brown, the latter streaked 



