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Show ^26 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON THE [NOV. 17, 6. HETEROCORYS BREVIUNGUIS. (Plate LXXVI. fig. 1.) Alauda breviunguis, Sund. (Efv. K. Vet. Akad. Forh. Stockh. 1850, p. 99 ; Giebel, Th. Orn. p. 292 (1872). Certhilauda breviunguis, Bp. Consp. i. p. 246 (1850); Gray, Handl. B. ii. p. 121 (1870). Megalophonus pyrrhonothus, Gray in Mus. Brit, et Hand-1. B. ii. p. 123 (1870). Adult male (one of the typical specimens). Above rufous fawn-colour, the margins of the dorsal plumes paler and more fulvesceut, with broad centres of blackish brown; the head slightly crested and coloured like the back, the hind neck more greyish and somewhat separating the head from the back by an indistinct collar; wing-coverts coloured like the back, dark brown, with broad fulvescent margins, causing a somewhat mealy appearance ; quills brown, margined with fulvous fawn-colour, very broad on the secondaries, and paler on the outer edges ; lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts bright rufous fawn-colour with narrow blackish shaft-lines, broader on the last named ; tail-feathers brown, bordered with fulvous, a little broader on the outermost feather and more rufous on the centre ones, which are shaded with ashy ; lores and a distinct eyebrow fulvous white, tinged with fawn; ear-coverts rufous fawn, inclining to dark brown on their upper margin ; cheeks fulvous white, with a few spots of dark brown ; under surface of body isabelline buff, the throat unspotted ; the flanks and chest washed with fawn-colour, the latter marked witha good many triangular spots of dark brown; under wing-coverts light fawn-colour, the outermost spotted with brown, the greater series ashy brown, like the inner lining of the wing, which is almost entirely of the latter colour, with a tinge of isabelline on the inner web ; bill horn-brown, inclining to yellowish horn-colour at base. Total length 6*8 inches, culmen 0*8, wing 4*0, tail 3*1, tarsus 1*1. Hab. Caffraria to the Transvaal. Specimens examined. E mus. Brit.:-a, b. South Africa (Sir A. Smith). Emus. R. B. S.:-a, 3 . Transvaal, April 16th, 1844 (Wahlberg). 4. AMMOMANES. Type. Ammomanes, Cab. Mus. Hein. i. p. 125 (1850) .... A. pallida. The characters given in the synopsis define the relations of this genus, in which a system of uniform dorsal coloration appears to be a point of no small generic significance. Key to the species. a. Larger; ear-coverts fawn-colour or rufous; tail without white tips to the inner webs. a'. Inner lining of wing lead-coloured, with no perceptible lighter shade on inner web of primaries .... 7. ferruginea. b\ Inner lining of wing pale ashy, with the inner webs of the primaries inclining to isabelline 8. erythrochlamys. b. Smaller ; ear-coverts whitish or slightly washed with isabelline ; tail tipped with white spots on inner webs of the feathers 9. grayi. |
