BOTHA DIFFICILIS. 105 



Botha difflcilis, Sp. u. (PI. 22, fig. 1.) 



Immature. Above blackish brown, with a few narrow white edges to the 

 feathers. Wing, with the outer edges of most of the quills cinnamon buff and 

 their inner webs with broad partial edges of that colour; under wing-coverts 

 buff, with a few blackish streaks. Tail wiih the base of all but the centre- 

 feathers white, which colour increases in extent towards the outer feathers, 

 which are uniform pure white with a broad blackish inner margin ; thus the 

 dark portion of the tail is restricted to a triangle with the apex at the base 

 of the centre pair of feathers. Sides of head dark brown mottled with buff; 

 under parts generally buff, strongly marked with blackish spots on the lower 

 throat ; flanks with some broad blackish stripes. Total length 4-5 inches, 

 culmen 04, wing 2-95, tail 1-6, tarsus 0-7. Middle toe with claw 0-6 ; 

 hind toe with claw 065, hind claw 0'4. Orange Eiver Colony (T. B. 

 Buckley). 



Botha's Lark inhabits the Orange River Colony. 



The only specimen of this species known to me is an 

 immature bird prociired by Mr. T. E. Buckley in the above- 

 mentioned country : it passed with my collection into that of 

 the British Museum. 



The following four characters combined readily distinguish 

 this species : (1) Bill conical ; (2) bastard-primary large ; 

 (3) hind claw long and nearly straight; (4) pattern of tail. 

 There is no other Lark in which more than two of these 

 four characters are ever combined. 



Genus VII. GALEEITA. 



Bill somewhat elongated and decidedly not Finch-like ; nostrils hidden ; 

 feathers of the posterior half of crown much elongated, forming a very 

 distinct crest ; secondaries reaching nearly or quite to the tip of the wing ; 

 bastard primary large, more than half-an-inch in length, and generally 

 distinctly longer than the exposed culmen ; tarsi and feet pale, of moderate 

 size ; hind claw long and very slightly curved. Plumage of upper parts 

 mottled brown or sandy buff with dark centres to the feathers ; pale pattern 

 of tail confined to the two pairs of outer feathers. 



