MELANOCORYPHA.
Bill strong, high, compressed sideways ; hind claw as long as hind toe, and straight.
Melanocorypha calandra calandra (L.). CALANDRA LARK. Fr. Calandre ; Ger. Kalanderlerche ; Ital. Calandra. ? Above grey brown with dark centres, secondaries tipped white ; beneath white ; large black patch on either side of neck, breast buff with dark streaks, flanks buff, under wing coverts and axillaries brownish grey, outer tail feathers pure white, white tipped. Bill above, yellowish below. Legs and feet light brown. \Ving 120-135, ? 10-132 (\V.). Tarsus 24-3o. Bill 12-15.
Rreedr.—S. Europe from Spain, S. France, Corsica, Sardinia, C. and S. Italy to Balkans, Rumania, S. Russia and Caucasus ; also N. and C. Tunisia, N. Algeria, Morocco, and Asia Minor to Palestine. Largely resident. Rare elsewhere in Europe and in Egypt.
Melanocorypha bimaculata (M6m:tries).
Like "calandra," but no white tips to secondaries, outer rectrices dark brown, black patches on neck more confluent.
\Vest Asiatic species ; occurs in Caucasus, and in winter in N.E. Africa.
Melanocorypha sibirica (Gmelin). WHITE-WINCED LARK: No black neck patches. Above grey brown, with dark central streaks ; crown, car coverts, and wing coverts reddish chestnut ; inner, primaries and apical half of secondaries white (conspicuous in flight) ; white stripe behind eye ; underparts white faintly spotted, flanks streaked brown. Bill brown, pale
below at base. Legs and feet yellowish brown. \Ving d 115-125, ? io6-112 (\V.). Tarsus Bill 12-14. ? Crown brown with dark streaks like back.
A \V. Asiatic species, ranging into Russia, north to Orenburg, Samara, Saratov and west to Voronetz. In winter, occurs in Rumania and Turkey. Rare in C. and \V. Europe.
Melanocorypha yeltoniensis (Forster). BLACK LARK.
8 Black, with whitish sandy margins above at all seasons, broader in winter, and then also on underparts and flanks. Bill brownish grey, yellow at base. Legs and feet grey-black. Wing 127-139 (\V.). Tarsus 25. Bill 13-14. ? like "calandra," but lacks the neck patches ; axillaries and tinder wing coverts sooty brown. \Ving 114-122 (\V.). Young the same but with black blotches on underparts.
Preeds.—S. Russia, Kirghiz Steppes up to Volga, and in W. Siberia. Occurs in winter in Caucasus. Rare \V. and C. Europe.