ALEMON SEMITORQUATA. 499 
tipped with white, and rufous at the base, like the upper tail-coverts, 
this colour extending further on the centre feathers, which are 
shaded with ashy but not tipped with white; forehead tinged with 
rufous ; ear-coyerts and a streak above the latter bright rufous, but 
not forming a distinct eyebrow; lores buffy whitish; cheeks and 
throat white, the former with a few specks of brown; rest of under 
surface bright sandy rufous; the under wing-coverts light isabelline, 
those on the outer edge of the wing more rufous; on the breast a 
few spots of dark brown, and on the sides of the upper breast a few 
streaks of the same: “upper mandible of the bill and the lower 
towards the point reddish brown, the latter towards the base 
reddish yellow lightened with flesh red ; legs and toes intermediate 
between Dutch-orange and sienna yellow, and tinted with flesh red; 
claws of the same colour as the legs, shaded with brown; eyes a 
bright. clear brown” (Sir A. Smith). Total length, 6°7 inches ; 
culmen, 0°9; wing, 3°7; tail, 2°6; tarsus, 1°35. 
Adult female.—Similar to the male, but much smaller, and haying 
a shorter bill. Total length, 5 inches; culmen, 07; wing, 3°25; 
tail, 2:1; tarsus, 1-1. 
Young.—Very like the adult, and of the same dark brown colour, 
but distinguished by very distinct white edgings to the dorsal 
feathers, wing-coverts, and secondary quill-feathers. 
Fig. Smith, Ill. Zool. S. Afr. Aves, pl. evi, fig. 1. 
501. AtzMon semrrorquata (Smith). Grey-collared Lark. 
Certhilauda semitorquata and C. subcoronata, Layard, B. S. 
Afr. pp. 216, 217. 
The members of the genus Alcemon differ from the Certhilaude 
in haying the hind claw short and curved, instead of long and 
straight: at the same time, they resemble the latter birds in their 
long bill, which is about the same length as the tarsus. ‘T'wo 
species are known from South Africa, of which the present is to 
be distinguished by tho isabelline colour of the under wing-coverts 
and base of the inner web of the quills. 
But few specimens fell under Sir Andrew Smith’s notice, and 
these were procured in the arid plains of the middle and eastern 
districts. We found it near Grahamstown, and have received @ 
few specimens from Mr. Atmore, procured in the neighbourhood 
of Traka, in the Albert division, in August; also from Mr. Arnot, 
2x 2 
