Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 2).djvu/352

338 spring to Central Asia. This Lark, in a more or less variable form, has an immense range, being found in Europe and Northern Africa and the greater part of Asia, as far east as China.

Habits, fyc. Breeds in India from March to June, constructing a small nest of grass on the ground under shelter of a stone or clod of earth. The nest is usually lined with cotton, hair, fibres, and feathers. The eggs, usually three in number, are dull white marked with brown and purple, and measure about *87 by '65.

875. Galerita deva. Sykes's Crested Lark.

Alauda deva, Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 92. Mirafra hayii, Jerd. Madr. Journ. L. S. xiii, pt. 2, p. 136 (1844) ; Blyth, Cat. p. 133. Spizalauda deva (Sykes), Horsf. fy M. Cat. ii, p. 477 ; Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 432; Hume, Cat. no. 7(35; Davison, S. F. x, p. 704; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 281 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 621. Alauda simillima (Hume), J. A. S. B. xxxix, pt. ii, p. 120 (1870). Spizalauda simillima (Hume), Hume, N. fy E. p. 484. Alauda (Spizalauda) deva, Sykes, Blanf. S. F. iv, p. 240. Galerita deva (Sykes}, Gates in Hume's N, 4* E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 236.

The Small Crested Lark, Jerd. ; Chinna chandul, Tel.

Coloration. Upper plumage rufous, with dark brown streaks or centres to all the feathers ; the upper tail-coverts more uniformly rufous ; tail dark brown edged with rufous, the penultimate feather with the outer web entirely rufous, the outermost feather all rufous except a small portion of the inner web ; wing-coverts and quills brown, edged with rufous, all the quills with a large amount of pale rufous on the inner web ; a broad and well-defined pale rufous supercilium ; sides of the head pale rufous mottled, with brown ; the entire lower plumage rufous, with a few spots on the cheeks and a few narrow black streaks on the breast ; under wing-coverts and axillaries rufous.

Bill horny brown above, pale flesh-colour below ; legs and feet yellowish brown ; iris dark brown (Butler).

Length about 6; tail 2'1 ; wing 3'4; tarsus '8; bill from gape -6.

Distribution. A considerable portion of the peninsula of India, where this species is a permanent resident. It occurs in Cutcb, Kajputana, the eastern portion of the Punjab, the North-west Pro- vinces and Central India, extending south to about the latitude of Bangalore and Madras. Its eastern limits are not known with any precision, but it does not seem to be found east of the 80th degree of longitude. To the west it is found everywhere as far as the sea-coast.

Habits, fyc. Breeds from June to August, making its nest at the foot of a tuft of grass or bush, and laying three eggs, which are speckled with reddish brown and purplish, and measure about 77 by -6.