MIRAFRA. 675 



into a zone round the middle of the shell ; in the other two they are 

 pretty equally scattered over the whole shell. Measurements 21 mm. by 

 16 mm." 



A set of two eggs is "Much like the above and equally spotted all 

 over, but the over-markings are of a more yellowish b^o^^^l. Measure- 

 ments 22 mm. by 15 mm. 



"This lark was nesting in an open bit of country thinly covered with 

 tufts of grass, ' beneath which the nests were concealed. Fully fledged 

 young birds of this species were also observed on the same date." (Grant 

 and Whitehead.) 



Genus MIEAFRA Horsfield, 1821. 



Bill very stout, almost finch-like, its depth at nostril almost as great 

 as its length from nostril and equal to about two-thirds of the hind 

 claw; nostrils exposed; rictal bristles short; tertials shorter than second- 

 aries; first primary equal to one-third of the second, the latter about 

 equal to the third, fourth, and fifth; hallux slightly shorter than its 

 claw. 



690. MIRAFRA PHILIPPI NENSIS Ramsay. 



PHILIPPINE BXJSH LAEK. 



Mirafra philippmensis Ramsay, Ibis (1886), 160; Shabpe, Cat. Birds Brit. 

 Mus. (1890), 13, 605; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 243; McGbegob and 

 Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 103. 



Luzon (Heriot, M Ollendorff, Steere Exp., McGregor, Whitehead) ; Mindanao 

 ( Meams ) ; Mindoro ( McGregor ) . 



Adult. — Upper parts blackish brown, streaked with ochraceous-bujff ; 

 superciliary line from bill to nape dark buff ; cheeks and ear-coverts buff, 

 speckled with black; chin and throat cream-buff; remainder of under 

 parts dull ochraceous-buff, darker across the chest which is marked with 

 small dusky spots; wing-feathers dark brown; quills ochraceous-buff on 

 inner webs; primaries and their coverts edged with rusty buff on outer 

 webs; secondaries and coverts edged with ochraceous-buff on outer webs; 

 tertials edged with buff on both webs; outermost pair of rectrices with 

 outer webs and most of the inner webs white; next pair with outer webs 

 white half way to the shaft. Iris light brown ; bill hom-color, lighter on 

 lower mandible ; feet and nails light flesh-color. A male from Luzon meas- 

 ures : Length, 140; wing, 70; tail, 46; culmen from base, 12; depth of 

 bill at nostril, 65 ; tarsus, 21 ; hind toe with claw, 16. A female, wing, 

 68; tail, 42; culmen from base, 12; depth of l)ill at nostril, 6; tarsus, 

 81 ; hind toe with claw, 15. 



In young birds in fresh plumage the feathers of the back are rounded 

 at the tips and fringed with ochraceous-buff, and the spots on the chest 

 are larger. 



