Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 2).djvu/334

320 of lower plumage white, washed w r ith vinous on the breast and sides of the body.

Soon after the autumn moult the yellow parts of the head become pure white, and the black parts lose all their fringes and become deep black ; the crown, mantle, and upper tail-coverts become deep vinous, and the whole of the upper plumage and wing-coverts become more or less tinged with this colour ; the coronal horns become very distinct and deep black.

Fig. 90. Head of 0. penicillata,

The female has no black band on the front part of the crown, the whole crown being streaked with black ; the black on the other parts of the head is much duller, and there never is any trace of vinous or pink on the plumage, except perhaps immediately after the autumn moult ; the black patch on the fore neck and breast is somewhat smaller, and the streaks on the upper plumage are more pronounced.

Iris deep reddish brown ; bill blackish above, bluish grey below ; tarsi and upper surface of toes (in May) black in the male, dusky in the female ; claws the same ; soles of feet whitish (Blanford}. Length about 8 ; tail 3'3 ; wing 4-6 ; tarsus '9 ; bill from gape 75 ; the female is considerably smaller.

Distribution. A winter visitor to Gilgit, where this species is found at a height of about 5000 feet. Biddulph procured this Lark on the Shandur plateau, where it no doubt breeds. It ranges north into Turkestan, and west into Asia Minor.

856. OtOCOrys longirostris. The Long-billed Horned Lark.

Otocorys longirostris, Gould, Moore, P. Z. S. 1855, p. 215, pi. 3; Horsf. & M. Cat. ii, p. 470 ; Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 431 ; Hume, Cat. no. 764;' Scully, Ibis, 1881, p. 581; Biddulph, Ibis, 1882, p. 285: Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 536.

Coloration. Very similar to O. penicillata, but differing in having the white of the throat passing under the cheeks and ear-coverts and merging into the pale colour of the side of the neck, thus isolating the black on the fore neck and upper breast ; the present species is also much larger and the feathers of the upper