174 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



muscles of their breasts agitated, breathing with difficulty, 

 as if they panted for respiration" {o. c, III., p. 199). I 

 have had my attention drawn to the same thing in other 

 and larsfer birds. 



113. Short-toed Lark, Calandrella brachydactyla 

 (Leisler), 



First met with on the 3rd of March, and for the next ten 

 days it was very common in flocks, no doubt migrating 

 northwards. After that there was a decided lull. Captain 

 Shelley thinks it does not stay to breed (Ibis, 1871, p. 140.) 

 I certainly saw none in June, and I do not think I saw any 

 in May. It is very terrestrial and very gregarious, prefer- 

 ring the plains, where its light-coloured plumage, assimilating 

 to the colour of the surrounding ground, is a protection. 

 None of my specimens have the crown at all rufous, 



114. Tristram's Desert 'Lark, Am^nomanes fratcrculus, 



Tristr. 



Mr. Dresser unites this with A. dcserti (Licht.), but look- 

 ing to my series of seven specimens, I think there surely is 

 enough difference in colouring between them and A. deserti 

 to earn them specific rank. I found them very common 

 from Thebes to Assouan, generally in pairs. In one of my 

 specimens the culmen is 0.6; in another 0.45. 



115. Desert Lark, Ammomancs deserti (Licht); 

 A. isabcllina (Tem.). 



I shot one at Feshn on the 25 th of February on the east 

 bank, where a few pairs were singing blithely upon the stony 

 barren hills. 



