2. AL^MON. 619 



base, the two outer ones only on the inner web ; the secondaries 

 white at the base and at the ends, leaving a broad band of dusky 

 brown in the middle ; the inner secondaries sandy buff, with ashy 

 centres, resembling the inner greater coverts ; centre tail-feathers 

 sandy buff, with ashj^-brown centres, the remainder blackish brown, 

 edged with whity brown, the outer feather white along the outer 

 web ; all the tail-feathers with a concealed white base ; crown of 

 head like the back, but rather more ashy and with slight traces of 

 reddish-brown centres to the feathers ; lores, eyebrow, and sides of 

 face and ear-coverts white, with a blackish streak behind the eye 

 and another below the latter ; cheeks, throat, and remainder of 

 under surface of body white ; sides of neck and sides of fore neck 

 and chest light ashy grey ; throat and chest spotted with black, the 

 former minutely, the latter more largely marked ; under wing- 

 coverts and axillaries white. Total length 8"1 inches, culmeu 1*15, 

 wing 5-05, tail 3-3, tarsus 1"35. 



Adult female. Similar to the male in colour, but scarcely so dis- 

 tinctly spotted on the breast. Total length S*3 inches, cuimen 1-25, 

 wing 5'1, tail 3-4, tarsus 1-2. 



In summer phunage the feathers become very much worn and 

 abraded, and the spots on the chest very much more distinct, these 

 spots being very much overshaded in the winter dress. The spots 

 are probably more developed with age, as a young male after the 

 first moult has the spots very small and much concealed. 



The Cape- Verde Island bird seems rather small and deeply 

 coloured — wing 4-2 inches. 



Young. Similar to the adults, but mottled with duskj' bars and 

 light edgings to the feathers ; the broad edgings to the greater 

 coverts and inner secondaries yellowish buff; under surface of body 

 white, with a slight mottling of dusky spots on the fore neck. 



Hah. Cape- Verde Islands to the Algerian Sahara and Tripoli, 

 thence to Egypt and Nubia and perhaps the peninsula of Sinai. 



Subsp. a. Alsemon desertorum. 



Alauda desertorum, Stanky, in Salt's Erped. Abyss. App. p. Ix 



(1814). 

 Saxicola ? pallida {nee Rapp-), Bh/th, J. A. S. Beng. xvi. p. 130 



(1847). 

 Certhilauda desertorum, BIyth, Cat. B. Mus. As. Sac. p. 133 (1849) ; 



Bj>. Consp. i. p. 246 (1850); Horsf. ^- Moore, Cat. B. Mas. E.I. 



