763.  Otocoris penicillata, Gould.

Alauda, apud Gould, P. Z. S. 1837 - Blyth, Cat. Appendix, p. 337 - HoRSF., Cat. 709 - O. scriba, BON. - Gray. Gen. Birds, pl 92.

The Horned-lark.

Descr. - Head, neck, and back, streakless vinaceous ashy, passing to purer grey on the wings ; narrow frontal band, lores, ear-coverts, and the sides of the neck, meeting as a gorget across the breast, purple black; the crown and the pointed sincipital tufts also black ; forehead, supercilia, continued round the ear-coverts posteriorly, throat, and below the breast, white, the latter tinged with yellow; primaries fuscous-ashy, the first, externally, white; the tail blackish, except the medial feathers, which are colored like the back, and the outermost and penultimate, which have white margins.

Bill and feet black. Length about 8 inches ; wing 4 1/2 ; tail 3 ; bill at gape 4/5; tarsus 1.

This is the description of the summer dress ; in winter, probably, judging from the analogy of 0. alpestris, the colors would be much concealed by deciduary grey edgings, and the black would be less intense and not so deep. The males differ from the females in being of a brighter colour, and in having the black feathers on the top of the head much more distinctly marked. The yellow gorget in winter is bright, and in summer remarkably faint, while the black on the nape is vice versa. 

The Horned-lark is an inhabitant of the cold regions of Northern Asia, in winter descending to the plains, and coming South. It has been found in Nepal, Kumaon, and other parts of the Himalayas ; also In Cashmere. Either this, or the next species, was observed by Adams on the lower Himalayan range (Birds of India, under No. 111).

Messrs. Dickson and Ross, who observed it in Western Asia, say, that they are driven to the plains in winter in search of food, which consists of the grain found in the dung of cattle. They fly in companies of from three to twelve birds; are very familiar, especially in winter, when they may be killed easily with an ordinary whip. They run on the snow with surprising rapidity, and, as soon as the snow has melted on the plains, they return to the mountains.

This Lark is said to sing well, mounting into the air, like a true Alauda.