Birds from Somaliland. 513 



must certainly be placed in the genus Certhilauda. In this 

 Dr. Skarpe, who has kindly examined the bird with me, 

 agrees. 



The bill, the feet and claws, and the wing seem to me in 

 structure and shape to agree very nearly with those of other 

 species of Certhilauda, and not with those of Mirafra. 



12. Al.emox hamertoni, sp. nov. 



<J ad. Head, mantle, scapulars, back, and upper wing- 

 coverts greyish brown, the feathers tipped with pale grey. 

 Upper tail-coverts pinkish buff. Tail-leathers dark brown 

 edged with buff. Primaries brown margined with buff. 

 Secondaries darker brown edged with pinkish buff. Chin 

 and throat white ; upper breast greyish brown ; lower breast, 

 belly, flanks, and under tail-coverts white washed with 

 pinkish buff. Under wing-coverts and axillaries white ; an 

 indistinct pale buff supercilium. The secondaries nearly 

 equal in length to the primaries. 



Measurements in inches : — Wing 4, tail 3, tarsus l:>, 

 culmen from base of skull "9, middle toe with claw "8, hind 

 toe with claw '7, claw of hind toe *35. 



1st (bastard) primary from tip of under wing-coverts *9. 



The female, from the same place and shot on the same date, 

 is similar to the male. 



Type (in Brit. Mus.), $ . Obbia, east coast of Somaliland, 

 January 13, 1903 (A. E. Hamerton, collector). 



Both specimens are in worn plumage and are just be- 

 ginning to moult, the new feathers sprouting on the back 

 being of a slightly darker colour than the old ones. 



This bird seems to be a very distinct species, it may be 

 distinguished at once from Ahemon deserturum, its nearest 

 ally, by the absence of white bars on the wing and by its 

 smaller size. It is also rather darker on the back than A. 

 desertorum, and has no distinct spots on the upper breast. 



13. Al^mon hamertoni altera, subsp. nov. 



$ ad. This bird differs from typical A. hamertoni described 

 above by the whole of the upperside being of a pale sandy 

 colour. The flanks and bell v are also more buff-coloured and 



