(ish) 



We found Rhampkoeorya clot-bey sometimes quite fearless, on other occasions, 

 however, shy enough. The greatest difficult)- is to see the birds, when they 

 go about singly or in pairs, and daring the breedinj? season they do not fly 

 much, and are rather silenf. Their upper surface matches the reddish sandy grey 

 colour of the stony desert to perfection. "W'lien they fly, the wide white ends 

 of the secondaries show striiiingly, and in size and manner of flight there is 

 a similarity to the Calandra Lark. 



The usual note of this Lark is a drawn " tsi tsi," not (piite unlike the call 

 of Ammomanes cinctura, but stronger, louder. A male which Hartert saw 

 running along the ground began some notes of a joyous warbling song, but did 

 not continue long. On no other occasion have we heard a song, and we never 

 saw one of these Larks soaring in the air. 



The female has the black area on the underside less extended, and is 

 slightly smaller: wings of males 120-130, of females 119-121 mm. 



30. Melanocorypha calandra calandra (L.) 



The Calandra Lark is a very common bird all around Batna and Lambese, 

 and Is common as far south as the last fields beyond Biskra. Somehow, in 1909, 

 we did not see the Calandra Lark near Hammam Meskoutine, where no other 

 species of Lark seemed to breed with the e.Kception of Galerida tlieklae karterti. 



The specimens we collected near Batna and Biskra do not call for many 

 systematic remarks. The colour of the upperside varies very much individually, 

 so that it does not seem to be possible to separate any subspecies, except the 

 considerably paler M. calandra psainmochroa. Hart, from East Persia, Trans- 

 caspia, etc. 



The bill varies very much in shape, as may be seen from tjie accompanying 

 figures of the beaks of two of our adult males from Southern Algeria. 



In 1911 these Larks were observed in great numbers in the fields near 

 Laghouat. They were in full song all through the month of April, and it 



was wonderful to see four, five or more males close by in the air, pouring forth 

 their beautiful song. The latter has no doubt been overrated by some writers, 

 but is nevertheless magnificent. A clutch of eggs was found on Ajiril 27. It 

 is of the usual type. 



31. Calandrella brachydactyla brachydactyla (Leisl.) 



This little Lark is exceedingly common in Algeria. It appears to winter in 

 the southern parts, where flocks are seen from February to the middle of Aj)ril. 

 In March it is perhaps the commonest bird in the desert near Biskra. The 

 Arabs call it " Tleesh " or " Dreesh." Two of our birds are undoubtedly breeding 

 birds : one shot flying off its eggs south of El Kautara, May 3, one at Lake 



