126 TEPHROCORYS RUFICEPS. 



they utter on rising ; one winter they were much more 

 plentiful than usual and outnumbered all the other Larks." 

 Near Pretoria the species has been obtained by Mr. Distant. 

 In Mashonaland, according to Mr. Guy Marshall, this Lark 

 is "everywhere abundant in open country. It is a fearless 

 little bird, frequenting the open spaces in the town and readily 

 permitting a very close approach. During the courting season 

 the male has a very pretty way of rising ; after first flying up 

 he will swoop downward a short distance, then rise abruptly 

 straight upwards for several feet with closed wings, turning 

 gently over and swooping down and up again several times 

 in succession, then fluttering away skyward, singing sweetly 

 all the while. In the end of winter these birds congregate 

 in flocks, which sometimes contain as many as 200 or 300 

 individuals." 



The distance between Salisbury, in Mashona, and Naiwasha 

 Lake is about 1,100 miles, and throvighout this vast territory 

 the species has not yet been recorded, but at the latter place, 

 Mr. Jackson has collected specimens in April and August 

 aud further north in the Kikuyu country in September, show- 

 ing that this species is neither rare nor migratory in British 

 East Africa. Dr. Ansorge has also met with it on the Athi 

 plains, and I have examined several specimens from this 

 district in Lord Delamere's collection and find that they 

 agree perfectly with examples from Natal. 



Tephrocorys ruficeps. 



Alauda ruficeps, Riipp. N. Wirb. Vog. p. 102, pi. 38, fig. 1 (1835) Simien. 

 Tephrocorys ruficeps, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 563 (1890) SJioa, 



Abyssinia; id. P. Z. S. 1895, p. 471 Somali; Shelley, B. Afr. I. 



No. 187 (1896); Grant, Ibis, 1900, p. 137; 1901, p. 627 S. Abyssinia. 



Adult. Very similar to T. cinerea, but with less pale edges to the 

 feathers, giving the back and wings a blacker appearance ; the chestnut 



