Birds from, >iouth-easttrn Africa. 351 



white^ almost entirely covered with umber-brown freckles or 

 spots of various shades and milky-white blotches^ the obtuse 

 end being the most marked; they measure 0*9 inch by 0*6. 



141. Pyrrhulauda leucotis (Stanley). 



(139) ? , Mangwato, 26th December. Iris hazel ; bill ashy 

 Avhite ; tarsi and feet light ash-colour. 



This is the commonest of the Larks about here^ where it 

 may be seen in considerable numbers in small flocks^ scat- 

 tered all over the plains^ and more especially about the caffre- 

 corn fields. It appears to be a very local species. 



142. Plocepasser mahali^ Smith. 



(144) Mangwato^ 27th December. Iris bright reddish 

 brown ; bill, tarsi, and feet very pale brown. 



This is a very common species in many parts of the 

 Bamangwato country, and thence southward. There are 

 many nests on the trees in a kloof near Mangwato; and 

 on a still day their loud but not unpleasant notes resound 

 amongst the rocks : occasionally two cock birds will fight with 

 such eager ferocity that, clutching one another, they fall 

 struggling to the ground ; and even when thus picked up they 

 will still continue to peck at each other. The nest is retort- 

 shaped, with two necks, very rough outwardly, and composed 

 of wiry grass stalks, iuAvardly lined with feathers. The 

 eggs rest on a sort of platform between the two necks of the 

 nest, and are three in number, of a pinkish white, much 

 marked with indistinct stripes of pinkish brown, more espe- 

 cially at the obtuse end. The eggs measure 1 inch by 0'6. 



143. Sporopipes squamifrons (Smith). 

 (132) $ , Palatswie Pan, 18th December. 



We found the birds breeding. The nest appears nearly 

 white, is roughly shaped like a retort, and placed in a low 

 thorny mimosa ; it is composed of thin wiry ends of grass 

 and fine fibrous stalks, and warmly lined with feathers. The 

 eggs, five in number, are greenish grey, nearly covered with 

 umber-brown markings of various shades, and measure 0*6 

 inch by 0"4. 



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