MIRAFRA AFRICANA. 53 



owing to the dark centres of the feathers being almost confined to the 

 shafts ; abdomen whiter ; spots on crop less numerous. 



Specimens from north of Limpopo. Either like the last (crown excepted) 

 or with the upper parts slightly more ashy (before the moult). Colouring 

 of younger birds or more freshly moulted specimens, like Natal birds ; but 

 the bill, which is somewhat variable, is on an average slightly smaller. 



Transvaal specimens form a good intermediate link between the last 

 form and Natal birds. The few specimens I have seen from Equatorial 

 Africa are rather rufous, but I find no definite character by which they may 

 be distinguished, so I do not recognise any subspecies of M. africana, for 

 I look upon M. athi as a good species. 



The Rufous-naped Lark inhabits Africa, south of about 

 1° N. lat. 



The habits of these Larks are well summed up by Stark 

 as follows : " Generally met with on open grassy plains in 

 pairs, feeding on the ground on small seeds and insects. If 

 alarmed or followed it runs along the ground with great 

 swiftness and frequently hides under the grass ; sometimes 

 it takes wing at once, uttering a sharp cry as it does so. On 

 sunny days this Lark is fond of airing itself on the top of 

 a bush, constantly opening and shutting its wings as it utters 

 its loud note. At times it rises a few yards in the air with 

 a fluttering flight, during which it sings a few notes not 

 unmelodiously. In the North-western Transvaal these Larks 

 breed in numbers. The nest is well concealed and by no 

 means easy to find. A hollow is scratched well under shelter 

 of a tuft of grass and lined with fine dry grass ; some grass 

 stems are then pulled over the nest and intertwined with long 

 blades of dry grass so as to form an arched bower, a small 

 side entrance being left on one side. Tbree elongated eggs 

 are laid about the second week in December ; these are cream 

 coloured, spotted all over with pale brown, more thickly at 

 the obtuse end with dark brown and purplish brown, often 

 in the form of a zone. They average 0"95 x 0'60." 



I have retained the name Mirafra africana,] Smith, for 



