r.IKDS or THE lU'FFALO BASIN 



90 r 



Rufoiis-iiaped Lark — Mirafra africana, A. Siiiitli — 

 Over the treeless veld as well as the mimosa tracts of oui- 

 area, right up to the edge of the forest, this lark is widely- 

 distributed and renders itself conspicnons by its habit 

 of delivering its bold call of three or four notes from an 

 eminence. In treeless areas it sits on a termite-heap or 

 on a fence-post or even on a house-top; but^ where such 

 vantage-points as aloe-spikes or mimosa bushes are avail- 

 able, it prefers to drawl out its call from these, generally 

 accompanying the call with a quivering of the wings. 

 The lark utters this call all the year round, but is com 

 paratively silent during the latter half of June and the 

 first half of July. It begins at dawn even before the 

 darkness is dispelled and is still calling after sunset. 



The listeners interpret the call according to their mood. 

 The Kafir herdboy believes the bird is conscious of his 

 wdles and that it is saying ^ se he flkile (the boys have 

 arrived, i.e., to torment iis). Those on the prowl for 

 Kafir-beer hear it jeering at them ^ ndlya etywaleni^ 

 (I'm off to a beer-drink), w^hile a European may almost 

 fancy the bird to be paying its respects 'How cVyou dof 



This drawl might pass for the song of the species, but 

 some writers assert that at certain times the bird de- 

 livers a real song in the air. I have long endeavoured 

 to settle this point, and I believe that a lark w^hich on 

 21 Xovember, 1912, twice mounted in the air to sing and 

 which rattled through its phrases and descended, be- 

 longed to this species. I have no other personal evidence 

 of this species singing in the air, and I suspect that, if 

 the true song is delivered in the air only, it must have 

 a very short annual period. 



In addition to the draw^ling note already referred to, 

 this lark has a plaintive call toeep; and in summer it 

 makes a characteristic noise with its wings, deliberately 

 clapping them in flight as it passes from tree to tree. 



Nesting begins in October, and a feathered nestling 

 has been brought in by the Pirie bovs on November 15. 



