620 



ALAUDID^. 



Melanocorvpha iiifuscaia, Heuyl. J.f. O. 1804, p. 273. 

 Melaaocorypha erythropyga, Heucjl. J.f. O. ltiU8, p. 222. 

 Alauda iufuscata,'lfe«^/' Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. pt. 2, p. 077 (1871). 

 Ammomanes erythropygia, Salvin, Cat. Strickl. Coll. p. 258 (1882). 



Adult. Blackish brown, with distinct rufous margins to the 

 feathers of the upper surface, the wing-coverts similarly edged ; 

 quills black, with whitish tips to the inner primaries and secondaries ; 

 rump, upper tail-coverts, and base of tail rufous, the end of the 

 tail dark brown, the rufous extending towards the outer feather ; 

 lores and a distinct eyebrow yellowish white, as well as the feathers 

 below the eye ; cheeks and under surface of body creamy white ; 

 lores with a black line ; ear-coverts black, with a white patch ; a 

 broad black malar stripe ; lower throat and breast thickly spotted 

 with black, which forms a patch in the centre of the chest ; flanks 

 also mottled with black. Total length 7'^ inches, culmen 0-65, 

 wing -±-25, tail 2'9, tarsus 1. 



Mr. Salvin has placed this species in the genus Ammomanes, 

 doubtless on account of the uniform plumage and the rutous base to 

 the tail. In stnicture, however, it is a Mirafra, and of the same 

 form as M, nigrieans. 



Hah. N.E. Africa. 



a. <S ad. sk. Kordofan. Old Coll. 



14. SPILOCORYDON. 



Spilocorvdon, Heichenoiv, Orn. Centvalbl. 1879, p. 15.5 . S. hypermetius. 

 Range. Eastern Africa, northwards to Shoa. 



1. Spilocorydon hypermetrus. 



Spilocorydon hypermetrus, Reichen. Orn. Centralhl. 1879, p. 155; 

 Fischer ^ Reichen. J.f. O. 1879, p. 354; Fischer, Zeitschr. ges. 

 Orn. i. p. 318 (1884) ; id. J.f. O. 1885, p. 137; Salvad. Ann. Mus. 

 Genov. (2) vi. p. 266 (1888;. 



Adult. Upper surface ashy brown, streaked with dusky, the neck 

 paler and tinged with isabelline ; throat white ; breast varied with 

 white and rufous isabelline, streaked in the centre with dusky 

 brown ; a spot of dusky blackish on each side of the neck ; abdo- 

 men huffy whitish ; flanks and under wing-coverts rufous isabelline ; 

 quills rufous at the base, brown at the tips : " upper mandible 

 dusky, the lower one paler; feet pale; iris pale brown" (G. A. 

 Fischer). Total length 8 inches, wing 4-4, tail 3-2. 



A young bird in the Museum seems to belong to this species, 

 which Count Salvadori states to be very similar to M. africana. It 

 is impossible to judge from an immature specimen in poor condition, 

 but I cannot see that the genus differs much from Mirafra. 



Bah. From Shoa to Masai-Land, and the adjacent parts of 

 Eastern Africa. 



a. Juv. sk. Shoa {Sir W. C. Harris). India Museum. 



