MIRAFRA AFRICANA. 51 



above dark grey, beneath yellowish grey " (Ansorge).' Total length 7"3 

 inches, culmen 0-7, wing 4-0, tail 2-4, tarsus 1-2. g , 5. 11. 99. Athi 

 river (Delamere). 



Immature. " Much blacker, the crown and head almost black, the 

 feathers of the upper side and the wing-coverts are blackish brown with 

 sharply defined white edges. The spots on the crop-region are larger than 

 in the adult bird, the rectrices, as usual in young Larks, are narrower and 

 somewhat pointed. ' The iris vyas brown ; feet light brown.' " (Nairobe. 

 31. 1. 99. Ansorge) Hartert. 



The Athi Lark inhabits the country between Victoria 

 Nyanza and Somaliland. 



The species was discovered by Dr. Ansorge in January, 

 1899, when he collected two adult birds on the Athi plain, 

 and an immature bird a few days later at Nairobe. Lord 

 Delamere has also met with these Larks at the Athi river, 

 so they are apparently not rare in this district, but are 

 possibly rather local. Mr. Jackson has procured specimens 

 near Lakes Naiwasha and Nakuru. At the latter place on 

 April 20, 1896, he " found a nest in a tuft of grass built 

 entirely of fine, dry grasses. Two eggs, one much paler and 

 with smaller spots than the other." 



This species much resembles M. hjpermetra in its general 

 appearance, but may be most readily distinguished by its 

 tail, which is much shorter and has the entire outermost 

 web white. 



Mirafra africana. 



Mirafra africana. Smith, Eep. Exped. C. Afr. App. p. 47 (1836) Cape 

 Col; Butler, Feilden and Eeid, Zool. 1882, p. 335 Natal; Sousa, 

 Jorn. Lisb. 1886, p. 167 Benguela; 1887, p. 101 Quissange ; 1889, 

 p. 116 Catumbella; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 607 (1890) Damara, 

 Natal, Transvaal, Makalaka : Eeichen. J. f. 0. 1892, p. 52 Bukoba ; 

 id. Vog. D. 0. Afr. p. 202 (1894) ; Shelley. B. Afr. I. No. 206 (1896) ; 

 Eendall, Ibis, 1896, p. 174 Transvaal ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1897, p. 514 



' " Iris hazel ; bill brown, lower mandible horny white " 3 (Jackson). 



