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Show 1874.] LARKS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA. 627 7. AMMOMANES FERRUGINEA. Alauda ferruginea, Lafr. R. Z, 1839, p. 258 ; Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr. Aves, pi. 29 (1847); Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 208 (1867). Megalophonus ferrugineus, Bp. Consp. i. p. 244 (1850) ; Gray, Hand-1. B. ii. p. 122 (1870). Adult (type of species). Above uniformly deep vinous cinnamon, the head coloured like the back and showing no pronounced grey shade on the hind neck; least wing-coverts uniform with the back, inasmuch as the brown bases to the feathers are concealed; median and greater coverts dark brown, margined with cinnamon shading off into yellowish buff on the extreme edge of the feathers ; quills light brown, with ashy fulvous edges, the secondaries more broadly margined, with cinnamon shading into whitish on extreme edges, especially the innermost, where the cinnamon colour occupies the greater part of the feather, leaving the centre of it only longitudinally brown; rump vinous cinnamon, the upper tail-coverts rather inclining to brownish cinnamon, resembling the centre tail-feathers, which are longitudinally brownish down the centre, and by no means so bright cinnamon as the back; rest of the tail-feathers very dark brown, narrowly edged with cinnamon buff, a little more broadly on the penultimate feather, and very distinctly on the outermost, where the rufescent margin occupies more than half of the outer web ; lores and feathers under the eye dull white, as well as an ill-defined eyebrow; ear-coverts uniformly cinnamon ; cheeks, throat, and sides of neck whitish, the former slightly spotted with blackish forming an indistinct moustache ; rest of under surface creamy white, shading into ashy-rufous on the flanks and thighs, the sides of the upper breast rufous ; lower throat and breast very distinctly marked with blackish spots, those on the former triangular, gradually becoming more longitudinal on the breast, and disappearing on the sides of the body, many of the longitudinal streaks washed with rufous ; under wing-coverts and inner lining of wing almost uniformly ashy or leaden brown, the innermost secondaries washed with rufous on inner web; some of the under wing-coverts with indistinct whitish edgings ; under tail-coverts creamy-white washed with cinnamon towards the tips of the middle ones ; " bill dark yellowish brown, passing towards the base of the lower mandible into dusky yellow; feet and claws light yellowish brown; eyes dark brown" (Sir A. Smith). Total length 7*5 inches, culmen 0*7, wing 4*1, tail 3*2, tarsus 1*2. Hab. "The extensive arid plains to the southward of the Orange River " (Smith). Of this species I have only seen a single specimen, the type, now preserved in the Museum. Sir Andrew Smith seems to have procured more, as he writes of the female that she has the ground-colour " not quite so bright as in the male; and the brown streaks on the breast are less distinct; " nor does he appear to have looked upon it as a scarce bird. Specimens examined. Emus. Brit.:-a, 3 ad. South Africa (Sir A. Smith, type of species). |
