13. MIEAFRA. 617 



Subsp. H. Mirafra alopex. 

 Mirafra cordofanica (wee Strickl.), Shelleij, Ibis, 1885, p. 407. 



Adult. Very similar to M. africanoides, but much smaller and of 

 a deep foxy-red colour above : " bill horn-colour, passing into flesh- 

 colour on the greater portion of the lower mandible ; legs flesh- 

 colour " (E. Lort FhilHps). Total length 5-6 inches, culmen 3-55, 

 wing 3-05, tail 1*85, tarsus 0-85. 



Bab. Somali-Land. 



(I. Ad. sk. Somali-Land {E. Lort PJdllips). Shelley Coll. 



20. Mirafra naevia. 



Alauda ntevia, Strickl. Coidr. Orn. 1852, p. 152 ; Grai/, Hcmd-l. B. 



ii. p. 118, no. 7750 (1870) ; Sharpe, Cat. Afr. B. p. 72 (1871). 

 Megalophonus sabota (//ee Smith), Gurney, in Anderss. B. Dam Ld. 



p. 195 (1872). 

 Megalophonus naevius, Gurney, t.c. p. 199 (1872). 

 Mirafra ntevia, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 187-4, p. 646 ; id. ed. LauarcFs B. S. 



Afr. p. 542 (1884j. 



Adult male in sumv^er plumage. Above sandy rufous, with dark 

 brown centres to the feathers, the head with rather paler sandy 

 margins ; the hind neck distinctly inclining to ashy, and separating 

 the head from the back ; scapulars blackish in the centre, with 

 very broad margins of sandy iiifous on both sides ; wing-coverts 

 like the back, with concealed blackish centres to the feathers, which 

 are margined with sandy, shading otf into fulvous on the extreme 

 edge, the greater series more broadly margined, the primary-coverts 

 more narrowly ; quills blackish, the primaries narrowly tipped with 

 greyish white and margined externally with sandy rufous, the 

 secondaries much more broadly, and bordered with fulvous on their 

 extreme edge ; upper tail-coverts sandy rufous, inclining to brown 

 in the centre of the feathers, and narrowly tipped with greyish 

 buff; tail black, very narrowly margined and tipped with sandy 

 buff, the centre feathers broadly margined with sandy rufous, the 

 outermost externally margined with a narrow edging of light 

 sandy colour, changing to white at the extreme tip ; lores and a 

 tolerably plain eyebrow isabelline ; feathers in front of the eye 

 dusky, those under it isabelline, marked with blackish ; ear-coverts 

 dark brown, very plainly and regularly streaked with sandy buff; 

 throat and cheeks white, the latter washed with isabelline on the 

 chest and sides of the body, the lower throat and chest plainly 

 spotted with triangular markings of light brown ; under wing- 

 coverts ashy brown, the innermost washed with sandy, the inner 

 lining of the wing entirely ashy brown or lead-coloured, excepting 

 the base of the inner web, which inclines to sandy: "iris hazel" 

 {T. C. Atmore). Total length 6-5 inches, culmen 0-75, wing 3-5, 

 tail 2-6, tarsus 0-95. 



