84 PYRRHULAUDA VERTICALIS. 



surface of the body black with a large patch of white on the side of the crop ; 

 thighs white and some white on the flanks. " Iris dark brown ; tarsi and 

 feet purplish flesh colour " (Andersson). Total length 4-6 inches, culmen 

 0'45, wing 3-1, tail 1-7, tarsus 0-65. a" , 6. 11. 66 (Andersson). 



Adult female. Above pale sandy brown, with a few dark shaft-stripes on 

 the crown ; back, wings and tail as in the males ; only the axillaries and 

 under wing-coverts are more dusky and the latter have a broad outer band 

 of buff, sides of head buff, with broad pale brown shaft-stripes to the ear- 

 coverts ; throat white ; under surface of body bufl^, with a few brown shaft- 

 stripes. 



The Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark inhabits Africa south from 

 the Loango Coast and the Limpopo river. 



The most northern known range for this species is the 

 Loango Coast, just north of the Congo, where Lucan and 

 Petit obtained a specimen. It has not yet been recorded from 

 the Congo or Angola, but in Benguela to the south of the 

 Quanza river specimens have been collected by Toulson and 

 Furtado d'Antas, and more recently Anchieta has found the 

 species abundant at Catumbella. 



To the south of the Cunene, according to Andersson, 

 " This species is pretty commonly diffused over Damara and 

 Great Namaqualand, especially in the latter country, and 

 I generally observed it abundant in the rainy season at 

 Otjimbinque during my residence there. It congregates in 

 large flocks, and is always found on the ground, unless 

 disturbed, when it flies but a short distance before it again 

 alights, scattering widely amongst the grass in search of its 

 food, which consists almost entirely of seeds. Its flight is 

 undulating, and occasionally an individual may be seen to 

 soar above the rest, descending again very abruptly ; it may 

 sometimes be heard to utter a shrill chirping cry." 



Sir Andrew Smith discovered the type at the Orange 

 river, and found these Larks inhabiting both sides of that 

 water-course, and writes : " This species, like Pyrrhtdauda 

 australis, inhabits the extensive arid plains of the more 



