MIRAFRA AFRICANOIDES, 523 
513. Mrrarra arricanorpss (Smith). Fawn-coloured Lark. 
Megalophonus africanoides, Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 214. 
Sir Andrew Smith says that specimens of this Lark are occasion- 
ally to be procured to the south of the Orange River, but most 
readily on the arid open plains which lie between that river and the 
Tropic of Capricorn. We have received it from Mr. Ortlepp at 
Colesberg, and he writes :—“‘ Found singly, inhabiting wooded places, 
and abounding on tall camel or thorn trees, on whose topmost twigs 
they are frequently to be heard pouring outa sweet sustained song.” 
We have seen it in Mr, T. C. Atmore’s collections from Hope Town 
and Griqua Land, but it does not appear to extend to the Transvaal. 
In Damara Land, Mr. Andersson writes:—‘ This bird is very 
frequent in the neighbourhood of Otjimbinque, and is not un- 
common in various other parts of Damara and Great Namaqua Land. 
It is easily distinguished from most of the other Larks by its reddish 
appearance. It is found in pairs, and is comparatively tame, flying 
but a short distance when disturbed, and settling on the ground or 
on a bush or tree; it has a kind of chirping song.” 
Adult (type of species)—Above sandy rufous, with narrow black 
shaft-stripes to the whole of the upper surface, the neck very 
slightly inclining to greyish ; wing-coverts dark brown, with narrow 
blackish shaft-stripes, margined with sandy rufous, inclining to 
fulvous on the extreme edge of the feathers ; primary coverts dark 
brown, with broad margins of sandy rufous; quills ashy brown, 
rufous on the outer web and very conspicuous, the inner web also 
rufous, but separated the entire length of the quill by the dark 
brown of the quill, the secondaries ashy brown, especially the 
innermost, which are distinctly shaded with grey, all margined with 
sandy colour ; upper tail-coverts pale ashy brown, broadly washed 
with whitey brown; tail dark brown, the middle feathers washed 
with clear grey and broadly margined with sandy rufous, the others 
narrowly and almost imperceptibly edged with pale sandy, the 
outermost narrowly bordered with whitish for the whole length of 
the outer web; lores and feathers round the eye whitish as well as 
a distinct eyebrow ; feathers in front of the eye dusky ; ear-coverts 
bright sandy rufous; cheeks, throat, and underparts generally 
whitish, washed with sandy isabelline on the chest, the cheeks with 
a few indistinct dusky spots, the chest sparsely marked with 
triangular spots of dusky black ; under wing-coverts entirely rufous, 
