498 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
500. Cerrmmavpa GARRULA, Smith. Smith’s Long-billed Lark. 
This Lark is very similar to the foregoing, but is dark brown with 
a slight shade of rufous on the margins of the feathers, and the 
secondaries are ashy brown with very narrow whitish or rufous 
margins: the tail-feathers are also tipped with white spots. 
It appears to be widely distributed. We obtained a few specimens 
at Nel’s Poort, and observed it at the River Zonder End on 
Mr. Vigne’s farm. We have also received it from Colesberg from 
Mr. Ortlepp, who met with it likewise at Port Elizabeth in June and 
August. Sir Andrew Smith found it inhabiting the northern parts 
of the colony. He writes: “It is very noisy, and generally found 
in small flocks. It moves rapidly, and when at rest is found either 
on the ground, or perched on ant-heaps or small shrubs. It 
constructs its nest in a hole or excavation in the ground; the 
foundation is small twigs; the inner part grass or hair. It lays four 
or five eggs, of an olive colour, with darker spots of olive brown.” 
Several specimens were received from Mr. Atmore, who writes, 
24th October, 1864: “TI have just stumbled upona nest of 0. garrula 
with two eggs, hard set; they are brown spotted, much like those 
of the ‘ Kalkoentje,’? but smaller. Nest open, and nicely secreted 
under a bush. The whole family keep together till pairing time ; 
they run very swiftly on the ground. Eggs—three, four, or five. 
The male is very attentive to his sitting hen, spreads his wings, sets 
up his feathers, and sings.” 
A specimen collected by Wahlberg in the interior of Natal is in 
the British Museum. 
Adult male (type of species)—Above very dark brown, with 
narrow margins of sandy fulvous, the hind neck inclining to ashy 
grey, the head rather darker than the back, and slightly streaked 
with rufous, the margins to the feathers being of this colour; wing- 
coverts dark brown, with sandy fulvous margins, the greater series 
paler brown, some of the coyerts slightly margimed with white ; 
quills paler brown, margined with ashy fulvous and tipped with 
white, the secondaries washed on the outer web with ashy grey, and 
with rufous on the inner web, and tinged with the same at the tip, 
the lower surface of the wing ashy brown, the rufous margins very 
distinct on the inner secondaries; upper tail-coverts bright rufous, 
some of them margined with whitish; tail-feathers dark brown 
