Page:Stray feathers. Journal of ornithology for India and its dependencies (IA strayfeathersjou11873hume).pdf/54

38 The Skylarks of India. just beginning to appear, and it is in the somewhat darker stage often observable; in other respects it is pretty correct, and corresponds exactly with some specimens I possess. It was probably killed, I should say, in July, as the yellow at the base of the bill so prominently shewn in the drawing, disappears in the autumn, and as it does so, the black frontal band developes, and the legs turn from brown to black.

This species is so excessively variable in size and appearance, that without a good series to examine, it is dillicult to under- stand it. The biggest birds are nearly 9 inches in length; thu smallest, less than 7 inches; the wings vary from 4-25 to 5.25 inches; the variation of the bills I have already noted, while the hiud claw varies from 0:3 to very nearly 0.6 but big and little birds come from all localities and intermediate sizes occur, so that for my pant I entertain no sort of doubt that, despite variation in size and plumage, all are re- ferable to one and the same species, which peoples, at any rate from Afghanistan to Bhutan, all the dreary Himalayan wastes lying between 12,000 and 17,000 feet in height, whenever and wherever a little moss and a trickling stream is to be found. I may hero note that Mr. Blyth was mistaken (This, 1867, p. 47.) in saying that he had received two pairs of this species from Dr. Jcrdon, procured in the desert country north-west of Delhi. This species never descends auy where near the plains, and Dr. Jerdon's specimens, of which he gave me one, which I still have, were obtained high up in Cashmere. A. O. H.

 

Our Indian Skylarks appear to me to deserve more careful study than has yet been apparently bestowed upon them. Most of all, a really large collection of specimens made in all parts of India, with the sexes and dates on which they were procured duly recorded, is a desideratum ; and I should feel very much obliged to any of my namerous correspondents who would, during the next year, endeavour to procure me good series in their immediate neighbonrhood. Until two or three hundred specimens are brought together in one museum, and carefully collated, I think it will be impossible to come to any certain conclusions in regard to this group. At present, so far as my own limited collection enables me to judge, I am disposed to believe that we have only two good species. 