CALANDRELLA ACUTIROSTRIS. 131 



Calandrella acutirostris. 



Calandrella acutirostris, Hume, Laliore to Yark. p. 265 (1873) ; Sharpe, 

 Cat. Birds B. M. xiii. p. 585 (1890) ; id. Bull, B. 0. C. xii. p. (1902). 



Adult. Upper parts mottled, pale brown with blackish centres to the 

 feathers, these dark centres less strongly marked on the hind neck and 

 absent from the upper tail-coverts, which are of a slightly more rufous shade ; 

 margins of primary-coverts, of some of the greater-coverts and the outer web 

 of the first primary white. Tail blackish ; the outer feather half blackish 

 and half white, these colours meeting along a diagonal straight line ; pen- 

 ultimate feather with a narrow white outer margin. Ear-coverts uniform 

 brown ; a dusky patch in front of the eye ; remainder of sides of head, upper 

 half of sides of neck and the under surface generally, white ; crop slightly 

 tinted with brown, most strongly so towards the sides, where it passes into 

 the pale brown of the lower half of the sides of the neck ; lower throat with 

 a few, almost obsolete, dusky brown spots ; flanks slightly shaded with 

 brown ; under surface of wings dusky with rufous buff inner margins to the 

 quills; under wing-coverts mostly pure white. "Iris brown; bill dusky on 

 culmeu, and yellowish horn at the sides and below ; tarsi and feet brownish 

 flesh colour" (Scully). Total length 5-7 inches, culmen 0-4:5, wing 3-4, 

 tail 2-2, tarsus 0-85. ? , 14. 11. 99. Athi R. (Delamere). 



Hume's Short-toed Lark ranges from Turkestan and India 

 to the Athi river in British Bast Africa. 



The occurrence of this species in Africa is known to me 

 only by the specimen I have described, which was shot by 

 Lord Delamere, November 14th, 1899, at the Athi river on the 

 same day as he shot the type of Spizocorys atheiisis, Sharpe. 



This species much resembles C. hrachydadyla, from which 

 it may be most readily distinguished by its bill being longer 

 and slighter. 



It is very probable that the Short-toed Larks, when they 

 pass in large flocks on migration, as is their custom, are joined 

 by scattered individuals of the allied species they meet by the 

 way, and this may account for more than one species being met 

 with in the same flock : for such is known to be of common 

 occurrence with the Yellow- Wagtails, and we have good 



