376 
BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 
The Bengal Bush- Lark is said by Mr. Blyth to have occurred in 
Arrakan. It has not yet been observed in any other part of Burmah. 
It occurs in the Indo-Burmese countries^ and is found throughout the 
greater portion of Northern India. 
Dr. Jerdon says : — It is a tolerably familiar bird, feeding in gardens 
and bushy places, squatting when watched and then taking a short flight ; 
and it appears to have the propensity to hide itself more than any of the 
other Indian species. It frequently perches on bushes.^^ 
The nest and eggs appear to be very similar to those of the next species. 
351. MIRAFRA AFFINIS. 
THE MADRAS BUSH-LARK. 
Mirafra affinis, Jerd. Mad?-. Journ. xiii. pt. ii. p. 136 ; Jerd. JB. Ind. ii. p. 417 ; 
Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 474 j Ball, S. F. ii. p. 422 ; Bl. ^ Wald. B. Burm. 
p. 95 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 108 ; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 634. Mirafra micro- 
ptera, Hume, 8.F. i. p. 483; id. Nests and Eggs, p. 475; id. S. F. iii. p. 159; 
Oates, S. F. v. p. 163 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 108. 
Description. — Male and female. The whole upper plumage dark brown, 
each feather edged with reddish brown ; upper wing-coverts brown, edged 
with rufous-white ; quills brown, edged with bright rufous on the outer 
webs of the primaries and secondaries, with pale rufescent on both webs of 
the tertiaries ; tail brown, edged with pale rufous-brown; sides of the head 
mixed rufous and brown ; chin and throat white ; a pale fulvous super- 
cilium ; lower plumage white, tinged with fulvous, especially on the breast, 
which is streaked with black ; underside of wings ferruginous. 
Iris hazel ; lower mandible and margins of the upper very light pinkish 
flesh-colour; remainder of the upper mandible dark horn-colour; legs 
light flesh-colour; claws pinkish. 
Length 5'5 inches, tail 2, wing 2*9, tarsus 1, bill from gape '6, hind 
claw '45. The female is of the same size. 
This species may be distinguished from M. assamica by the rufous 
colour of the upper plumage. Mr. Hume has designated the Burmese 
bird M. microptera, on the grounds that it is smaller than the Indian 
one. He gives the wing of the Burmese bird as varying from 2*6 to 
2*75 inches in length ; but I find that the wings of Thayetmyo birds 
range up to 2'9 or rather more. On the other hand, the Indian bird has 
a wing which is usually 3*3 inches in length, but wings of 3' 15 are by no 
means uncommon. Dimensions therefore cannot be altogether relied 
upon for the separation of the two supposed species. The Thayetmyo 
birds are also said to have a shorter bill, to have more rufous on the inner 
