Page:Stray feathers. Journal of ornithology for India and its dependencies (IA strayfeathersjou11873hume).pdf/513

Notes on the Skylarks of India. 485 4. A shorter, darker, and stouter bill, and not so pointed as in the European bird. 5. Darket legs and feet. 6. Purer white ou outer tail feathers. 7. The cold grey tone of the upper plumage, with strongly contrasting dark central streaks. 8. Being morticolous or more properly alpine during the sumuner season, in which respect it is totally opposed to its European representative which avoids mountainous countries, and specially affects low lands.

The identification of this well marked Alpine lark with A. arvensis would only be excusable* in the absence of specimens of the latter for comparison. 2. ALAUDA GUTTATA,† Brooks, our second Indian Skylark is the species described by me in J. A. S., Vol. XLI., part II., 1873, p. 78. It is closely allied to d. gulgula, Franklin, but the differences between it and d. gulgula have been already pointed out in the original description. I still believe it to be a good species, and none of the examples of d. galgala, obtained out of Cashmere by me, accord with it.

3. ALAUDA, GULGULA, Franklin, our third species, is the com- mon skylark of the N. W. Provinces, and breeds over a tract of country extending from Cawupore to Almorah. The range within which it breeds is probably more extended, but I speak only of what I have observed myself. Hodgson's drawings and descriptions of 4. triborhyncha and d. leiopus vel. orientalis, ap- peared to me to be identical with a gulgula. The Rev. Dr: Tristram, after comparing examples of galgule which I had sent with the types sent home by Mr. Hodgson, also independently, came to the same conclusion.

I think Mr. Hune may have been wrong in identifying Hodgson's d. leiopus with the lark of the high Himalayan platean," the dimensions of which agree with those of the Cashmere lark (d. guttata) which I found in small numbers at Gulmurg, but very plentiful in the Cashmere valley. have not even this exense. The fact is that the larger the series of Europeat and Asiatic larks that are compared. the more certain it becomes that not one of the distinctions insisted upon by Mr. Brooks hold constantly gooil.-ED., STBAY FEATHERS. †This is the race which 1 lave figured in Lahore to Yarkand (pl. XXVIII.,) as 1. triborhgacha; I do not now helieve in the specific separability of thems vacions races. ED., STRAY FEATHERS.
 * Unfortunately those hardened sinners Messrs. Sharpe, Dresser, and Hnne