GALERIDA CRISTATA MACRORHYNCHA 255 



range to comparatively limited tracts of country, the present sub- 

 species shows considerable variation in its colouring, according to the 

 particular district it inhabits. To a certain extent it varies in other 

 ways as well, notably in the size and shape of its bill, the modification 

 of which is presumably brought about by the nature of the soil in 

 which the bird finds its sustenance, a soft sandy soil calling for a 

 long fine pointed bill, while a hard gravel or rocky soil requires a 

 stouter and blunter bill. With regard to the coloration of the plumage, 

 I may observe that although, taken as a whole, examples of the Lark 

 from the more northern districts of Tunisia are darker, and those from 

 the south paler, it is not so much the degree of latitude which 

 influences the coloration as the character of the birds' environment, 

 thus we find darker birds occurring in certain districts of Southern 

 Tunisia, and paler birds in some parts of Central Tunisia. Dr. Koenig 

 seems to have noticed this apparent anomaly in Algeria also. In 

 some Tunisian districts, moreover, examples of this Lark occur 

 which have a very distinct rufous coloration, almost sufficient, perhaps, 

 to warrant subspecific separation. This shade of colour is no doubt 

 also due to the character of the soil. 



In Algeria the forms of Crested Lark belonging to the G. crista ta 

 group appear to be identical, or almost so, with those found in Tunisia. 

 In Marocco, however, they differ somewhat, as in the north of the 

 Empire a form occurs which approaches typical G. cristata so closely, 

 that when giving a list of the birds in my collection from Marocco 

 {Ihis, 1898, p. 602) I referred it to that species. This form, however, 

 differs from typical G. cristata in being rather darker in colour, with 

 a more clearly marked plumage, and in having a slightly longer and 

 more tapering bill. It has since been distinguished by Baron v. 

 Erlanger as a subspecies under the name of (?. c. Meinschmidti (J. f. 0. 

 1899, p. 34.5). Another form of G. cristata which occurs in the 

 neighbourhood of Mazagan, on the west coast of Marocco, and is 

 rather more rufous in colour than the last-named form, has been 

 named by Mr. Hartert O. c. riggenhachi (Nov. Zool. ix. p. 333). In 

 Central and South Marocco yet another form occurs, which in its 

 large size and long bill resembles some examples of G. c. macro- 

 rJiyncka from Tunisia and Algeria, but is rather more rufous. I have 

 not, however, thought fit to separate this form from G. c. macro- 

 rliyncha, and have referred it thereto {Ibis, 1898, p. 604). 



The fact is, throughout North-west Africa there is an endless 



