G34r Col. R. Meinertzhagen on Birds from [Ibis, 



If all the Ammomanes phceiiirura from northern A-frica are 

 not the same race, then the Algerian bird must be called 

 A. p. regidus Bp. (1857: Algerian Sahara), the Cairo and 

 Solium birds remain A. j>. arenicolor, and the Siwa birds 

 must have a new name. 



Now the fact that spring and autunm birds near Cairo 

 show a constancy of the dark coloration, rather points to 

 there being more than one race in northern Africa, but in the 

 absence of autumn specimens from Algeria, I refrain from 

 coming to any definite conclusion. I also recommend to my 

 friend Nicoll a complete Ammomanian survey of the Nile 

 from Khartoum to C'airo, once in autumn and once in spring, 

 also a trip to the Sinai hills, where Zedlitz's A. d. katliarina' 

 is said to occur. 



GALERIDA CRISTATA. 

 The following are the results of my investigations into 

 the Crested Larks of Syria, Palestine, Egypt, the Red Sea, 

 Abyssinia, and Somaliland. In all, 383 birds were examined. 



Galerida cristata nigricans Brehm. 



43 examined from Helouan (April), Giza (Dec), Delta 

 Barrage (April and May), Inchas (Jan. and March), north- 

 ern edge of the Delta (Jan. to April), central Delta (Feb. 

 to May), Kantara on the Suez Canal (Dec). 



No freshly-moulted autumn birds examined. 



This is the darkest race of the Crested Larks. Breast 

 densely spotted with rich black spots which are never very 

 clear-cut. Under parts invariably tinged with yellowish 

 buff, distinctly more so than in macidata { = altirostris of 

 Hartert's Vog. pal. Fauna). Upper parts very dark, the 

 centres of the feathers being nearly coal-black. Crown 

 much darker than in any other race. Outer tail-feathers 

 with black extending over the whole of the inner web and 

 over nearly half the outer web. Remainder of feather a rich 

 buff. (I would mention here that among Crested Larks the 

 colour on the outer tail-feather is a very unreliable charac- 

 teristic.) Average wing for thirty-four males 101'9 mm. 

 (max. lOG, n)in. 99), and for nine females 96*1 mm. (max. 



