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Show 1874.] LARKS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA. 645 the breast; flanks and thighs washed with rufous ; under tail-coverts buffy white; under wing-coverts deep rufous; inner lining of wing ashy brown, inclining to rufous on the inner web ; " upper mandible deep brownish red, lower mandible deep sienna-yellow; legs, toes, and claws pale buff-orange, tinged with flesh-red" (Sir A. Smith), "iris dark brown" (Ayres). Total length 5*3 inches, culmen 0*5, wing 2-85, tail 2-9, tarsus 0-9. Adult male. Total length 5*0 inches, culmen 0-5, wing 2"85, tail 2-0, tarsus 0*9. Hab. Eastern portions of the Cape colony, ranging into the Transvaal. Sir Andrew Smith, in describing the type as a male, writes as follows:-"A second adult specimen of this species was obtained, but its sex was not recorded. In size it was rather superior to the male specimen just described ; and the feathers of the upper parts are broadly edged with a colour intermediate between orpiment and reddish orange: the latter colour on the breast is also much darker: in other respects the two are similar." Both specimens referred to by Sir Andrew are in the collection still; and the one I have described is the "larger " bird ; but, as will be seen by the measurements, the difference in size is more apparent than real, as the specimen is a little overstuffed. I have not yet seen the winter plumage of this bird, and have only one male specimen in m y collection, sexed by Mr. Atmore, and measuring 2*95 in the wing and 0*9 in the tarsus. Specimens examined. E mus. Brit. :-a, b, 3 ad. South Africa (Sir A. Smith, types of species). E mus. R. B. S.:-a, 3 ad. Whittlesea Flats, South-east Africa (T. C. Atmore). E mus. H. B. Tristram :-a, 3 • Transvaal (Ayres). 17. MIRAFRA SABOTA. Mirafra sabota, Smith, Rep. Exp. S. Afr. App. p. 47; id. 111. Zool. S. Afr. Aves, pi. 89. fig. 2 (1849, err. pro fig. 1). Megalophonus sabota, Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 382 (1844); Bp. Consp. i. p. 244 (1850); Lavard, B. S. Afr. p. 213 (1867, ex Smith); Gray, Hand-1. B. ii. p. 122 (1870). Megalophonus chenianus, Gray, Hand-1. B. ii. p. 122 (1870). Megalophonus navius, Ayres, Ibis, 1871, p. 259. Alauda sabota, Giebel, Thes. Orn. p. 300 (1872). Alauda navia, Buckley, Ibis, 1874, p. 283. Adult male. Above sandy fawn-colour, with distinct mesial centres of blackish brown to all the feathers, more closely mottled on the head, which appears in consequence rather darker than the back ; the hind neck distinctly washed with ashy fulvous, slightly separating the head from the back ; wing-coverts dark brown in the centre, with broad fawn-coloured margins, shading off on the extreme edge into fulvous, the edge of the wing whitish, and the primary coverts dull |
