Birds of the Gold Coast Colony Sfc. 293 



danger had disappeared. lu fliglit the rufous underneath 

 the wings is conspicuous. 



The adult male of this Lark differs from the female in 

 being more rufous on the wings and tail. The primaries are 

 broadly edged with rufous on their outer webs, while the 

 outer tail-feather is entirely rufous. 



The female equals the male in measurements. 



The range of this Lark is across Africa from the Gold 

 Coast Hinterland on the west to the White Nile on the east. 



26. Pyrrhulauda melanocephala (Licht.). 



Alauda melanocephala, Licht. Verz. Doubl. p. 28 (1823). 



Fringilla otoleucus, Temm. PI. Col. iii. pi. 269. figs. 2, 3 

 (1824). 



Fyrrhulauda otoleuca Ogilvie-Grant, Bull. B. O. C. xii. p. 14. 



We first observed this species on Dec. 23, 1900, near Wal- 

 wali (lat. 10° 30' N., long. 1° W.). At Binduri, about 40 

 miles to the north of Gambaga, the bird was again met with 

 on Feb. 20, 1901. There the country is very open, and 

 is in places grown over with guinea-corn and long grass 

 interspersed with short stunted trees. A small dried-up 

 watercourse, with banks of loose stony soil covered by dry 

 grass, was the resort of this species. The birds were in flocks, 

 which consisted of males only, the majority of them being 

 immature. 



They were very shy, continually getting up out of gun- 

 shot, and with an erratic and dancing little flight disappear- 

 ing in ever-increasing circles out of sight. The note is a 

 tiny " twit-twit '"' rapidly repeated. 



The two adult males which we obtained had their organs 

 in breeding condition. The immature birds in the flock 

 must have belonged to the first broods. 



The stomachs of those obtained contained small grass- 

 seeds. 



The Black-headed Bunting-Lark ranges from Senegambia 

 to the Niger on the west and thence across Africa to the 

 White Nile, where it meets and overlaps the range of its near 

 ally P. leucotis. It diff'ers principally from the latter in having 



