LARKS are singing birds of Europe and Asia, of the sub-family Alaudinm. They have been arranged by Jerdon into the bush larks, true larks, and long-billed or desert larks.
Mirafra Assamica, Bengal bush lark. M. affinis, Madras bush lark.
M. erythroptero, red-winged lark. M. cantilans, Jerdon.
M. Horsfieldii, of Australia.
M. Javanica, of Java.
Ammimanes phnnicura, rufous-tailed finch lark. A. lusitanica, pale rufous finch lark. Pyrrhulauda grisea, black-bellied finch lark. Calandrella trachydactyla, short-toed social lark. Alauda raytal, Indian sand lark.
A. triborhyncha, Himalayan skylark. A. gulgula, Indian skylark.
A. Malabarica, Malabar skylark. Otocoris penieillata, horned lark.
O. longirostis, long-billed horned lark. Spizalauda deva, small-crested horned lark. Galerida cristata, large-crested lark. Certhilauda desertorum, desert lark.
Alauda gulgula is the common lark of the plains of India and of Bengal. A. Malabarica may be somewhat inferior to the European skylark, so far as regards variety in the notes, but the difference is so very little, that the two birds could not be distinguished by the voice alone, nor by the mode of flight.
Alauda triborhyncha, Hodg., of the lower region, scarcely differs from the skylark of Europe, but it seldom mounts so high or re mains so long on wing. It is a summer visitor only, possibly migrating to the lowland valleys in winter. A Kashmir boatman would consider his establishment incomplete without the Afghan lark, Melanocorypha torquata, said to frequent the valley of Kashmir in winter. The sweet notes of these songsters, issuing from the boats as they pass up and down the river, are very enchanting. In all the desert parts of Sind,
the crested calandre lark, the Charndol, Galerida cristata, is plentiful. It is not unlike the sky lark, is generally met with in flocks during the cold months, and is the most abundant lark on the plains of Upper India and table-land of the Peninsula. It is of rare occurrence in Britain. The song of this bird, also its mode of delivery of it in the air, are not very unlike that of the skylark, although it does not soar so high.
Larks are often domesticated in S.E. Asia. In China, the Acridotheres cristellatus, the Shan tung lark, has great facility in learning sounds, and will bark, mew, crow, cough, and 'sneeze, sometimes talk, and a single bird will fetch £6. The Acridotheres will imitate the Amman voice accurately. In China, a starling is often domesti cated ; it is lively, good- natured, and easily tamed. They also tame the fork-tailed parus, the Leiothrix luteus of Scopoli. It is in form and habit like the robin of Britain, is pretty, olive green, black forked tail, with wing primaries bright yellow and red. It turns summersaults on its perch. They have a short, loud song. Canaries are sold in many shops of Japan. The grackle, Gracula religiosa, called the Mina is largely domesticated. The partridge, the shrike, are also largely domesticated. The hoopoe is to be seen occasionally.—Blyth ; Adams.