526 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
the innermost washed with sandy, the inner lining of the wing 
entirely ashy brown also, excepting the base of the inner web, which 
inclines to sandy ; “iris hazel”? (Z'. C. Atmore). “Iris light brown ; 
upper mandible horn coloured, fading into white on the edges and 
on the lower mandible ; legs and toes pale straw colour, with a tint 
of pale flesh colour on the toes” (Andersson). Total length, 6°5 
inches; culmen, 0°75; wing, 3°5; tail, 2°6; tarsus, 0°95. 
Adult female.—Rather smaller than the male. Total length, 5-7 
inches; culmen, 0°65; wing, 3°4; tail, 2°3; tarsus, 0°9. 
Winter plumage.—There are four specimens in the British Museum 
in full winter plumage, which does not differ so much on the upper 
surface as do some of the South African Larks. It is much more 
mealy and of a paler sand colour, the grey collar round the hind 
neck being very distinct, as well as the white eyebrow and the 
margins to the wing-coverts and quills; under surface of body 
white, tinged with isabelline on the chest, flanks, and thighs, the 
chest with a few narrow streaks of pale brown, the entire lining of 
the wing ashy, as also the wing-coverts, some of which are margined 
with sand colour. 
515. Mrrarra sapora, Smith. Sabota Lark. 
Megalophonus sabota, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 213. 
Sir Andrew Smith procured this Lark on the arid plains north 
of Latakoo ; it perched frequently on low shrubs. Mr. Frank Oates 
shot it at Tati in the Matabele country, and Mr. Ayres has met with 
the species in the Transvaal. He observes :—“I found these Larks 
in the Mariqua district, frequenting the open glades at the com- 
mencement of the thicker bush, but in the latter I did not notice 
them. When disturbed, they generally flew from the ground on to 
the nearest bush.” Mr. T. E. Buckley likewise met with it in the 
Transvaal and in Bamangwato. It is by no means improbable that 
the present bird and M. nevia will be found on the comparison 
of a larger series, to belong to one and the same species, as the only 
difference seems to be the smaller and much more slender bill 
of M. sabota, but as far as our material goes, the large bill of 
M. nevia seems to be a very constant and conspicuous character. 
Adult male. — Above sandy fawn colour, with distinct mesial 
centres of blackish brown to all the feathers, more closely mottled 
on the head, which appears in consequence rather darker than the 
