( 144 ) 



shaft-stripes, and Sbarpe regards it as a <rood species.* It, or a form between it 

 and G. cristafa cristata, is also found in tbe coast region of Algeria and Tunis. In 

 the interior of these countries, however, we find an interesting number of forms. 

 Besides the jnst-mentioned dark form on the coast, we meet all over the stouy 

 plateans of the desert very long-billed forms, one of them darker and larger, 

 G. eiistata macrovhtjncha (Tristr.). more on the dark stony tracts in tbe middle of 

 tbe desert, and tbe other paler and little smaller form, G. r. arenicola (Tristr.). 

 more on tbe margin of the true sandy desert, the Sahel.t while on the very sand 

 itself they are reiilaced by the wonderfully pale sandy isabelline (t. c. imhdlina 

 (Bp.).t Besides these Mr. Wbitaker describes (Jbii, 1895, p. 100) an Alaiula 

 cristata paUi<lri,\ found in tlie southern parts of Tiniis, where the soil is more arid 

 and more bare, but not yet true desert. It seems that Koenig found the same near 

 El Kantara and Biskra in Algeria, but lie calls it '/. arenicnhi Tristr., which name 

 applies to the pale long-billed form. 



Leaving Tunis we come east of it to Tripolis, Bnrku, the Libyan Desert, etc.. 

 all countries hitherto ornitholugically entirely unexplored. Tbe next form of 

 crested lark we meet in the Delta of the Nile, whence the Tring Museum possesses 

 a series from Alexandria, Damietta, and Cairo. It differs from Galeru/a cristata 

 cristata of Europe in being considerably darker above, the black centres of tbe 

 feathers being more extended, the brown edges darker, wings and tail darker, more 

 blackish. The breast is marked with bolder, broader, very dark blackish brown 

 longitudinal spots, giving it a striking ai)[)earauce. Throat white ; abilomen buffy or 

 isabelline, and with some ill-defined brown shaft-stripes ; sides of body heavily 

 streaked. Wing 102 — 106 mm. ; bill 10, a little more tapered than in (1. cristata 

 cristata. This very distinct subspecies has no name : I therefore name it 



Galerida cristata deltae subsp. uov.|| 



Proceeding farther np the Nile crested larks must occur everywhere, but to 

 which forms they belong I cannot say at jireseut. The next form I am acquainted 

 with is a large-billed isabelline form,' which the Tring Museum possesses from 

 Khartoum, collected by Petherick and J. W. vou Miiller. It resembles G. c. 

 sencyallensis, bnt is more yellowish above ; the breast-spots are more brownish 

 isabelline ; the bill is a little bigger. It resembles pale specimens of the long- 

 billed Algerian form, but the rectrices are more reddish isabelline, the upper aspect 

 more reddish, tbe breast-spots not so frequent and not so dark. It is G.flara of 



• Form c, 

 f P'orm.s d. r. 



I Form i. 



§ Form/. Unfortunately C. L. Brehm has already named a GaUHda eriatata pallula from Spain ; it 

 is therefore necessary to replace Whitaker's name by a new one. I call it 



G. cristata superfluanom. nov. 



While this article was in print 0. (J. Elliot's article on tbe birds collected by him in Somaliland appeared 

 in the Field Columbian Museum's Publications. Thereon ji.SSof I'ublication 17, lie describes a new species 

 of Galirula. unfortunately again tailing it G. pallida '. As this name, as shown above, cannot be used, 

 there being two pallida already, and as the discovery of an evidently very distinct form of crested lark 

 in .Sonialiland is of speci.al interest, I name it 



Galerida ellioti nom. nov., 



but it may also be a subspecies of 0'. cristata. 



II Form fi. 



