MIRAFRA FISCHERI. 43 



Mirafra fischeri. (PI. 16, fig. 2.) 



Megalophonus fischeri, Eeichen. J. f. 0. 1878, p. 266 Babai ; Hartl. 

 Abhandl. Ver. Brem. 1891, p. 17 Usambiro. 



Mirafra fischeri, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Genov. 1888, p. 267 Shoa ; Sharpe, 

 Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 600 (1890) Landana, Gaboon, Simzi, Zambesi, 

 Wadelai; Eeichen. J. f 0. 1891, p. 159; 1892, p. 53; id. Vog. D. 0- 

 Afr. p. 202(1894) I'angani, Kakoma, Uniamwcsi, Siwiu B., Bussissi ; 

 Shelley, Ibis, 1891, pp. 23, 472 Nyasa ; id. B. Afr. i. No. 198 

 (1896) ; id. Ibis, 1898, pp. 379, 553 Nyasa; Alexander, Ibis, 1899, 

 p. 563 Zambesi ; Hartert in Ansorge's " Under Afr. Sun," p. 318 

 (1899) Teita; Stark, Faun. S. Afr. B. i. p. 216 (1900); Marshall, 

 Ibis, 1900, p. 213 Maslwna ; Sclater, P. Z. S. 1900, p. 2 Nyasa; 

 Hartert, Nov. Zool. 1900, p. 46 Tone; Grant, Ibis, 1901, p. 628 

 S. Abyssinia. 



Mirafra tigrina. Oust. Le Naturalists, 1892, p. 231, Congo. 



Adult. Very similar to M. apiata, but most readily distinguished by the 

 under surface of quills showing broad pale cinnamon inner margins and their 

 outer webs, viewed from above, have also as much cinnamon as in the wings 

 of the immature of M. apiata ; inner secondaries have little or no trace of 

 dark bars. Tail with the pale portion larger and pale rufous ; more than 

 half of the. outer feather and nearly the entire outer web of the penultimate 

 one being of that colour. " Iris brown; bill horn colour; tarsi and feet 

 light brown." Total length 52 inches, culmen 0-5, wing 29, tail 2-0, tarsus 

 0-95. 3 , 7. 76. Swaziland (T. E. Buckley). 



Adult female. Similar to the male and scarcely smaller. 2 , 11. 8. 86. 

 Wadelai (Emin). 



Fisclier's Bush- Lark ranges from the Loango coast south- 

 ward into Benguela and Swazihmd, and throughout Central 

 and Eastern Africa northward to Wadelai on the White Nile 

 and into Southern Abyssinia. 



This species is apparently abundant in the Congo district, 

 for in the British Museum there is a good series from Landana, 

 Conde and Kassougo ; and from the description of M. tigrina, 

 Oust., from the Congo, it would appear that that bird belongs 

 to this species. 



In Benguela, Anchieta has collected specimens at Caconda, 

 where it is called by the natives " Kitianonhe." To this 

 species probably refers Chapman's Biachyonis pi/rrhoiiota, 



