224 REV. ROBERT GODFREY 



the bird sings on a termite-heap or other small mound, 

 but he may even be content to sing from the roadway. 

 But in July and August at least, these larks mount in 

 the air a good while before sunrise and reproduce on 

 a small scale the chorus of the skylark. These morning 

 singers are unseen, but their identity is revealed by their 

 using the same phrases as are used by the birds when 

 singing on the ground. 



The ordinary call of the bird as it rises from the road- 

 way may be syllabled as tslieerk ; this single note is 

 lengthened in flight into a double note tshce-ree. 



Nesting begins in the latter half of August, the 2Tth 

 being the earliest date on which I have seen the bird 

 carrying. At Somerville a fulh -feathered youngster has 

 been brought to me on September 18. Nesting continues 

 till the middle of December. During the breeding season 

 I liave seen a pair of tliese larks rise fearlessly in front 

 of my horse, ' billing ' in the air as they did so. 



^Ir. Colley Macdonald informs me that a favourite site 

 for the nest is at the foot of a mealie-stalk in the stubble- 

 fields. I have neglected to enter in my note-books any 

 detailed description of the nests I have handled. The 

 eggs are two or three in number. The solitary egg left 

 in my collection and taken on 7 November, 1908, measures 

 21 mm. b}^ 15; the faint creamy-gray ground colour is 

 covered fairly evenly with undefined spots and blotches 

 of grayish-bro^n. 



Immediately after the nesting-season, even as early as 

 January 25, these birds congregate on the flats and re- 

 main in flocks until the following nesting-season. They 

 feed on seeds. 



Black-faced Lark — Pyrrlndauda australis (A. Sm.) — 

 Dr. Edwin Atherstone recorded this species as occurring 

 near King Williamstown and Stark also, probably re- 

 peating this record, makes a similar statement. At pre- 

 sent, however, no proof is forthcoming of the actual oc- 

 currence of the bird within the limits of the Buffalo 

 Basin. 



