44 MIRAFRA FISCHERI. 



which he " only observed near the Okavango." In eastern 

 South Africa Mr. T. B. Buckley shot a specimen in Swazi- 

 land, which is the most southern range recorded for this 

 species, and is the only instance known to me of the species 

 having been met with beyond the limits of tropical Africa. 

 To the north of the Limpopo the species has been found by 

 Jameson and Ayres at the Umfuli river, where these birds 

 are known to the Matabele as "Quatji." Mr. Guy Marshall 

 believes it to be a " fairly common species round Salisbury, its 

 curious crackling flight being very characteristic." Specimens 

 have been collected by Bradshaw between the Limpopo and 

 the Zambesi, and at the latter river Mr. Boyd Alexander 

 found them " frequenting hilly woodland where the grass is 

 long, or where it has lately been burnt." It appears to be 

 by far the commonest Lark in Nyasaland or British Central 

 Africa, and is apparently plentiful throughout German East 

 Africa. 



Bohm met with it at Kakoma and his description of its 

 habits agrees closely with that given by Layard of the habits 

 of M. apiata, its near Cape Colony ally. Fischer has col- 

 lected specimens at Usaramo, Pangani, the Simiu river, and 

 at Mombasa, where he procured the type ; he also met with 

 it in the Wanika and Wapokomo countries. 



Amongst the most northern-known localities for this 

 species are Wadelai on the Upper White Nile, where Emin 

 has collected specimens, and the Shoa district of South 

 Abyssinia; here Dr. Ragazzi met with it at Ula, and Mr. 

 A. E. Pease obtained two specimens at Kora (8° 30' N. lat., 

 38° 30' E. long.), and the latter naturalist writes: "Fischer's 

 Bush-Lark was heard in the early morning, its note being 

 a muffled rattle-like noise. When on the wing it soared high 

 out of sight, then fell rapidly to within twenty or thirty feet 

 of the ground, and swerved for a hundred yards or so before 



