OCR Text |
Show 1874.] LARKS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA. 647 brown centres to the feathers, the head with rather paler sandy margins; the hind neck distinctly inclining to ashy, and separating the head from the back; scapulars blackish in centre, with very broad margins of sandy rufous on each side; wing-coverts coloured like the back, with concealed blackish centres to the feathers, which are margined with sandy, shading off into fulvous on the extreme edge, the greater series more broadly margined, the primary coverts more narrowly; quills blackish, the primaries narrowly tipped with greyish white and margined externally with sandy rufous, the secondaries much more broadly, and bordered with fulvous on their extreme edge; upper tail-coverts sandy rufous, inclining"to brown in the centre of the feathers, and narrowly tipped with greyish buff; tail black, very narrowly margined and tipped with sandy buff, the centre feathers broadly margined with sandy rufous, the outermost externally margined with a narrow edging of light sandy colour, changing to white at extreme tip: lores and a tolerably plain eyebrow isabelline ; feathers in front of the eye dusky, those under it isabelline, and marked with blackish; ear-coverts dark brown, very plainly and regularly streaked with sandy buff; throat and cheeks white, the latter washed with isabelline on the chest and sides of the body, the lower throat and chest plainly spotted with triangular markings of light brown; under wing-coverts ashy brown, the innermost washed with sandy, the inner lining of the wing entirely ashy brown also, excepting the base of the inner web, which inclines to sandy; "iris hazel" (T. C. Atmore). Total length 6-5 inches, culmen 075, wing 3-5, tail 2-6, tarsus 0*95. Adult female. Rather smaller than the male. Total length 5" 7 inches, culmen 0*65, wing 3*4, tail 2*3, tarsus 0*9. Winter plumage. I have four specimens in m y own collection in full winter plumage, which does not differ so much on the upper surface as in some of the South-African Larks. It is much more mealy and of a paler sand-colour, the grey collar round the hind neck being very distinct, as well as the white eyebrow and the margins to the wing-coverts and quills; under surface of body white, tinged with isabelline on the chest, flanks, and thighs, the chest with a few narrow streaks of pale brown, the entire lining of the wing ashy, as also the wing-coverts, some of which are margined with sand-colour. Hab. From the north-eastern districts of the Cape colony (summer), ranging into Damara Land (winter). This species is a large edition of A. sabota, to which it can hardly be united by reason of its enormous bill. In other respects it agrees very fairly, especially in the lead-coloured wing-lining. Some mistake may have arisen in the sexing of the specimens, and a large series carefully collected will perhaps rejoin the two species. As will be seen, however, by the specimens which I have, the material at m y disposal is tolerably conclusive. Specimens examined. E mus. R. B. S.:-a, b, c, 3 aestiv. Griqualand (T. C. Atmore). |