AMMOMANES CINCTURA. 101 



A. algeriensis, as the name of Alauda lusitana was not clearly 

 defined by Gmelin ; but tbat objection was removed by Degland 

 in 1849, when he assigned G-melin's name to this species. 



The eggs, according to Mr. A. Nehrkorn, have the ground 

 cream-colour, with clouded violet blotches over which are 

 reddish grey spots. They measure 0'96 x 0'66, and have 

 been figured in the Journal fur Ornithologie, 1896. 



Ammomanes cinctura, 



Melanocorypha cinctura, Gould, Voy. " Beagle " Birds, p. 87 (1841) CajJe 



Verde Is. 

 Ammomanes cinctura, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 644 (1890) ; Shelley, 

 B. Afr. I. No. 225 (1896) ; Alexander, Ibis, 1898, pp. 85, 110, 112, 

 116 ; Bocage, Jorn. Lisbon, 1898, p. 146 ; Salvad. Ann. Mus. Genov. 

 1899, p. 294 Ca^jfi Verde Is. 

 Alauda cinctura, Dohrn, J. f. 0. 1871, p. 5 Ccqic Verde Is. 

 Adult. Above uniform pale cinnamon, slightly darker on the quills and 

 tail; many of the primaries with blackish terminal marks; axillaries and 

 under wing-coverts rufous buff ; under surface of quills pale cinnamon. 

 Tail with a terminal triangular blackish patch reaching down about one- 

 third of the tail ; ear-coverts pale cinnamon like the back ; eyebrow, fore 

 part of face and under parts generally buff, slightly more rufous on the crop, 

 where there are some very obscure dusky spots ; flanks also slightly washed 

 with rufous. Iris brown, bill and legs ashy. Total length 5-2 inches, 

 culmen 0-4, wing 3-5, tail 2, tarsus 08. S , 25. 2. 97. San lago (Boyd 

 Alexander). 



Gould's Desert-Lark inhabits the Cape Verde Islands. 



The type of the species was discovered by Darwin during 

 the voyage of the " Beagle," and is now in the British Museum 

 along with other specimens from these islands. 



Mr. Keulemans, while in company with Dr. Dohrn, met 

 with the species and writes : — " It is very common in the 

 plains near the town of Porto Praya, in Santiago, and also 

 on the mountains in the interior of the island ; but I never 

 observed it in any cultivated district. It seems to avoid 

 vegetation as much as it does water, and occurs nowhere save 



