98 AMMOMANES DESERTI 



Ammomanes deserti- 



Alauda deserti, Licht. Verz. Doubl. p. 28 (1825) U-pixr Egypt. 

 Ammomanes deserti, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 646 (1890) ; Shelley, B. 



Afr. I. No. 226 (1896) ; Cholmley, Ibis, 1897, p. 206 Erha Mt. ; 



Nehrkorn, Kat. Eiers. p. 135 (1899) egg ; Eothschild & "Wollaston, 



Ibis, 1902, p. 7 Shcndy. 

 Alauda isabellina, Temm. PI. Col. iii. pi. 244, fig. 2 (1825). 



Adult. Above uniform vinous-shaded sandy huS, of a slightly more 

 cinnamon shade on the upper tail-coverts ; wings pale brown, with the edges 

 of the coverts and outer margins of the secondaries like the back ; the 

 entire basal portion of the outer webs of all but the two outer primaries, 

 rufous buff; under wing-coverts and broad partial inner of the quills, 

 rufous buff ; tail brown, with the outer edges of the feathers and the 

 external webs of the outer two pairs, rufous buff; ear-coverts like the 

 crown ; remainder of sides of head, sides of upper neck and the throat 

 white ; breast and under tail-coverts sandy buff, with a few faintly marked 

 brown spots on the crop. Iris dusky brown ; bill, tarsi and feet dusky 

 flesh colour. Total length 6 inches, eulmen 06, wing 3-85, tail 26, tarsus 

 0-9. (? , Korosko {Shelley). 



Females very slightly smaller. 



Lichtenstein's Desert-Lark inhabits North Arabia and 

 Egypt to as far south as Suakin. 



According to Heuglin, these Larks are resident in Egypt, 

 N. Arabia, and range southward along the Red Sea coast, 

 avoiding the mountains, and are generally to be met with in 

 pairs along the borders of the cultivated land and the desert, 

 often frequenting the caravan tracks and feeding on insects, 

 corn, and the seeds of the desert plants. Their note is very 

 insignificant, and they keep to the ground, only occasionally 

 perching on low bushes. 



The type of A. deserti (Licht.) came from Upper Egypt, 

 and this is the species which I found distributed over Egypt 

 in suitable localities, but most abundant above the First 

 Cataract. They construct a neatly formed nest of grass, placed 

 in a slight depression and sheltered by a tuft of grass or a 

 large stone, and lay four eggs. These are of an ashy cream 

 colour, obscurely marked with purplish grey and more dis- 

 tinctly so with brown. They measure 0"9 inch by 0'6. 



