22 BULLETIN 15 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



therefore, that reddish birds occur sporadically throughout Kenya 

 Colony, and it may be that they are nothing but a color phase. It is 

 not surprising to find a species as geographically variable as this 

 lark producing erythrisms. 



Recently, however, van Someren -^ has reaffirmed the specific dis- 

 tinctness of harterti in both adult and young plumages. I have seen 

 no material and so can not decide this point. 



The breeding season is in April and May; the birds molt in July 

 and August. The present specimen is in fine fresh plumage. 



MIRAFRA FISCHERI FISCHERI (Reichenow) 



Megalophoneus fischeri Reichenow, Journ. fiir Orn., 1878, p. 266: Rabai, near 



Mombasa. 

 Spkcimens collected: 



1 male, Tharaka district, Kenya Colony, August 14, 1912. 



2 males. Tana River, Kenya Colony, August 18, 1912. 



1 female. Tana River at mouth of Thika River, Kenya Colony, August 23, 

 1912. 



The geographic races of the flappet lark are very puzzling be- 

 cause of the fact that apparently melanistic forms occur in several 

 areas, and in many places two color phases are found together. The 

 racial characters are slight at best and require series for their illustra- 

 tion. I have not enough material to decide on the validity of some of 

 them and merely follow Sclater's conclusions ^^ in this paper. Only 

 two subspecies occur in the areas collected in by the Frick expedition. 

 They are as follows : 



1. M. f. -fischeri: Kenya Colony from Mombasa (and also the coastal 

 districts of Tanganyika Territory) to southern Somaliland, and to 

 northeastern Uganda and the Upper White Nile district of the Sudan. 



2. M. f. degeni: Central and southern Ethiopia. This form is 

 very slightly larger than fischeri but blacker on the interscapular 

 region and redder on the sides of the breast. The material I have 

 examined is not sufficient to prove definitely that this race can not 

 be distinguished from the typical one, but it certainly suggests it, 

 Sclater claims that omoensis is a synonym of degeni. One bird from 

 Lake Stefanie (which I assume may be omoensis) is equally well 

 matched by examples of fischeri and of degeni. 



The present four birds are remarkably uniform in coloration for 

 so variable a species. The female, however, is noticeably paler below 

 than any of the three males. 



Van Someren-^ found this lark to be plentiful in the scrub and 

 grass country in southern Kenya Colony. He says : 



21 Nov. Zoo!., vol. 37, p. 335, 1932. 



22 Systema avium ^3thiopicarum, pt. 2, pp. 313-314, 1930. 

 ^ Ibis, 1916, p. 433. 



