480 
CATALOGUE. 
Decora, Hind. Jerdon, vulgo. 
Dhubuk Chaei {i. e. Squat Sparrow), Hind., Jerdon. 
A. b. ^. Dukhun. Presented by Colonel Sykes. 
C. $ . Bengal. From the Asiatic Society of Bengal. 
d. e. Nepal. (No. 809, Hodgs. List). Presented by 
B. H. Hodgson, Esq. 
/ ^ . Bengal. Presented by Captain R. C. Tytler. 
g. S' ^ Drawing. From F. (Buch.) Hamilton's Col- 
lection. 
" This curious little bird is extremely common in all parts of India, 
frequenting the open plains and cultivated grounds, and common on 
the roads or any other bare spot. Its habits are quite those of a 
LarJc. It is still more remarkable than the Mirafra pJicenicitra, for 
the sudden ascents and descents of its flight, mounting up some 
height by a few flappings of its wings, and then descending almost 
perpendicularly till close to the ground, when it again rises as before, 
and repeats this several times. In general, it takes but a short flight, 
and on alighting, squats close to the ground. It occasionally may 
be seen seated on a house-top ; but I never saw it perch except on 
one occasion, when I observed some twelve or fifteen of them perched 
on a low tree close to a house in cantonment. This was during the 
height of the hot weather. I obtained the nest and eggs in February. 
The nest was composed of woven thread, mingled with some fibres of 
grass, and one or two small fragments of cloth. The sides are hardly 
raised at all ; it was placed in a slight hollow on the open plain, near 
a river, and contained two eggs of a slight greenish-grey tint, spotted 
with brown, chiefly at the larger end." — (Jerdon.) 
" This bird has the habit of squatting on the high roads, and almost 
allowing itself to be ridden over ere it rises. Coleopterous insects, 
maggots, and seeds of Fanicum spicatum were found in the stomach. 
This bird has the straight hind claw of a Lark." — (Sykes.) 
" I shot a specimen of this elegant little Lark as it settled on the 
ground, after singing for some time with expanded wings. In its 
flight and motions on the ground it completely resembles a Lark." — 
(Sundevall.) 
" Breeds in the vicinity of Calcutta, and the nestling plumage of 
the young definitively refers the genus to the Lark family : it essen- 
tially resembles that of the true Larks." — (Blyth.) 
" It is found during the whole year in Bengal."— (F. Buchanan 
Hamilton.) 
