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hills east nf Ghardaia. In these districts it occurred to.ijether with G. crixf.ata 

 macrorhi/Hcha, hut while the latter was more or less partial to tlio cultivated 

 soil and places round the Da)'ats, this theklae form was often foniid in the most 

 desolate stony desert, where macrorlnjmha, did not occnr. Sometimes, neverthe- 

 less, especially near the Dayats, both conld be seen close together : but whenever 

 a male soared high in the air, pouring out its wonderful melancholy song, it was 

 invariably a G. theklae cvroUnae, the G. eristata, macrorhijucha making short flights 

 only and uttering a short song, like Central European Crested Larks. 



The wings of 25 males measure 102—108, those of 12 females 05—101 mm. 



Eggs were found on April 10 near Laghouat, four forming the full clutch. 



41. Galerida theklae deichleri Erl. 



Giilerida thcckluc deichleri Erlanger, Journ.f. Oni. 18'J'J. p. 3.39 (Douz in Tunesia). 



The distribution of this beautiful sand-colonred bird is very interesting. 

 Travelling southwards from Biskra, after leaving the fields, one passes over 

 a wide plain through which the Biskra river (Oued Biskra) flows, and which is, 

 to a large extent, covered with Tamarix. In this plain one finds only Galerida 

 eristata arenicola, and no theklae. All along the caravan route to Touggourt 

 G. c. arenicola is more or less common, but no theklae are, as a rule, seen. Only 

 the last day of our journey south one of us shot a specimen of G. t. deichleri, 

 but our search for more was in vain. We made it a special point on our return 

 journey to collect this Lark ; bat tiie first, second, third, and fourth days not a 

 sign of it was seen. The fifth day, in the early morning, we shot a specimen 

 on the stony plain near Kef-el-Dor, and that same day obtained six others. That 

 day (April 19) and the following ones we found out how and where to find 

 G. t. deichleri. It does not inhabit the sand-dunes, nor the sebcha plains, but 

 wherever stony patches occur, like little islands, in the more sandy desert, there 

 it lives. There one can hear it from a distance by its flute-like, melancholy song, 

 uttered while soaring skywards like a skylark, and can shoot it, with some patience. 

 The delicate, pale, more or less reddish or light cinnamon sand-colour distinguishes 

 it at a glance from its northern representatives. Even the underside is much 

 whiter than in harterti and slightly lighter than in hilgerti, and the spots on 

 the chest are not deep brown, as in the latter two races, but of a much paler 

 brown. The coloration is sometimes almost like that of G. eristata arenicola, 

 but mostly very much lighter. Both G. theklae hilgerti and G. theklae deichleri 

 are, however, easily distinguishable from G. eristata arenicola by the shorter 

 and comparatively thicker bill, shorter wing, and less reddish sandy, more greyish 

 under wing-coverts and axillaries. 



The individual variation in this subspecies is greater than in others. While 

 it can never be mistaken for any of the other forms we came across, some specimens 

 are more reddish, others more yellowish, and on April 21, about 4(J kilometres 

 south of Biskra, we came across a pair, which we shot, of which one, the female, 

 was much more greyish than any others, while the male was about the sandiest, 

 most reddish one we obtained. 



The wings of our males measure liiO — 105, those of the females 95 — J02'5 mm. 



Mr. Kiggenbach shot a female of a form of G. theklae at Hio de Oro on 

 June 9, 19U2. Its plumage is worn to such a degree that it is impossible to 

 Bay to which form it might belong, but its wings appear to be very short, aid 



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