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Show 1874.] LARKS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA. 619 rectrix narrowly margined on the outer web with buffy white ; throat entirely white ; rest of under surface of body bright sandy rufous, with a few more or less distinct white margins to some of the feathers; the breast minutely spotted with dark brown; under wing-coverts pale sandy rufous, those on the edge of the wing slightly mottled with brown ; "iris hazel" (Atmore). Total length 6*1 inches, culmen 0-85, wing 3*7, tail 26, tarsus 1*15. Adult female. Similar to the male in colour, but smaller, and having a much shorter bill. Total length 5*5 inches, culmen 0-75, wing 3*5, tail 2*1, tarsus 1*05. Young. The young bird is principally distinguished by its spotted plumage, the white margins to the feathers of the upper surface being rather spots than terminal margins, and further discriminated by small subterminal black spots. Around the hind neck is a distinct shade of fulvous, almost forming a collar and much plainer than in the adult bird; the margins to the wing-coverts very broadly and distinctly white ; throat, lores, and a scarcely perceptible superciliary line white ; rest of under surface pale sandy rufous, becoming gradually more fulvous on the abdomen; the breast slightly spotted with pale brown, the feathers margined with whitish. In winter the young bird is very different, having very broad circular margins of white to all the feathers of the upper surface, with obscure brown central streaks, the under surface very pale and with scarcely any perceptible brown spots on the breast. What I consider to be the winter plumage of this species is represented by two Damara specimens in m y collection. These birds are very pale sandy colour, narrowly streaked with dark brown shaft-lines ; throat white; rest of under surface pale sandy isabelline, with only the faintest trace of eight brown spots on the breast. This is a species which varies much in size, as will be seen by the following measurements. Total length, bill. wing. tarsus. in. in. in. in. 1. 6 ad., Hope Town (Atmore) 6-2 0-85 3*5 105 2. 3 ad., Great Namaqua Land (Andersson) 6-1 085 3-45 1*0 3. $ juv. (winter), Wilson's Fountain (Andersson) 5*9 0*9 3*5 PI 4. $ ad. (winter), Damara Land (Andersson) 4-6 0-75 30 1*0 5. S ad. (winter), Damara Land (Andersson) 5*7 0-85 3*3 1-05 6. 2 iuv-, Great Namaqua Land (Andersson) 5-6 07 325 10 It will be noticed by the list of localities that it also seems to have a more northern range than C. garrula, though it probably meets that species in the eastern districts of South Africa, as also at Colesberg ; * 40* |