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HETEROCORYS BREVIUNGUIS. . 503 
Simith). Total length, 7 inches ; culmen, 0°7 ; wing, 3°65 ; tail, 3-8; 
tarsus, 1°05. 
Winter plumage.—KHntirely different from the summer dress. 
Above ashy grey, with a slight sandy-colonred tinge, the black 
central stripes broad but obscure, rather plainer on the middle of 
the back and scapularies, which are rather broadly margined with 
creamy white; wing-coverts dark greyish brown, with ashy margins 
to least series, the greater and median series broadly edged with 
whitish ; quills dark brown, margined with ashy, the secondaries 
broadly edged with whitish; rump and upper tail-coverts rather 
more distinctly washed with sandy-colour than the back, the latter 
with dark brown shaft-stripes; tail-feathers dark brown, the centre 
feathers shaded with greyish and plainly margined with ashy white, 
the outermost feathers having also a slight edging of the same; 
eyebrow and streak below the eye white; feathers in front of the 
latter blackish; ear-coverts uniform ashy grey like the back, but 
without dark shaft-streaks; himder part of the cheeks washed with 
ashy-grey ; fore part of cheeks and throat white, with an indistinct 
moustachial line of blackish spots; sides of neck and under surface 
of body white, with triangular blackish spots from the lower throat 
to the breast, changing into longitudinal streaks on the sides of the 
breast and flanks and under tail-coverts ; sides of the body inclining 
to greyish, as also the thighs ; under wing-coverts and wing-lining 
entirely ashy brown. “ Bill, legs, toes, and claws deep orange- 
coloured brown, shaded with brownish red, the lower mandible 
towards the base sienna yellow ” (Sir A. Smith). 
Fig. Smith, Ill. Zool. 8. Afr. pl. 87, figs. 1, 2. 
503. Hurmrocorys Breviuneuis (Sund.) Short-clawed Lark. 
Having the short and curved claw of an Alaemon, the present bird 
has the bill shorter and stouter than in that genus, the bill when 
measured from gape to tip being much shorter than the tarsus. The 
nostrils are bare and not hidden by bristly feathers. 
This species seems to be very rare, as we have never seen a 
specimen in any recent collection. Sir Andrew Smith procured 
two individuals, which are now in the British Museum; but he does 
not appear to have named the species. The late Professor Wahlberg 
obtained it in the Transvaal, and the following description is taken 
from one of his specimens :— 
