GALERIDA CRISTATA ARENICOLA 257 



It commences to pair early in March, and continues nesting 

 throughout the two following months. The nest is generally placed 

 at the foot of some low shrub or tussock of grass, but may at times 

 be found in an open field or plain bare of vegetation ; it is composed 

 of grasses, loosely put together, with little or no lining. The eggs, 

 usually four in number, though as many as five or even six are some- 

 times found, are of a dull or greenish-white colour, plentifully spotted, 

 chiefly at the larger end, with greyish or pale lake shell-markings and 

 yellowish-brown surface-spots. Average measurements 23 X 16 ram. 



Although, perhaps, no group of birds is more subject to local 

 variation in colour than the Crested Larks, abnormally coloured 

 examples, or "sports," must be exceedingly rare among those occur- 

 ring in North-west Africa, as among the many hundreds of specimens 

 of these birds that have passed through my hands, I have never seen 

 a single one that could be considered as such. In the common 

 Crested Lark of Europe such " sports," although not common, are 

 more frequent, the isabelline "variety" being, perhaps, the one most 

 often met with. 



GALERIDA CBISTATA ARENICOLA (Tristram). 



PALE LONG-BILLED CRESTED LAEK. 



Galerita arenicola, Tristram, Ibis, 1859, pp. 58, 42G. 



Galerida cristata arenicola, Hartert, Nov. Zool. vol. iv, p. 147 (1897). 



Galerita cristata arenicola, Erlanger, J. f. 0. 1899, p. 347. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Eas-el-Aioum, South Tunisia. 



Upper parts pale sandy-isabelline, the feathers with darker centres and 

 lighter margins ; the crest, which is considerably elongate and fine, dark 

 brown, margined with yellowish-isabelline ; superciliary stripe extending 

 from the bill to behind the ear whitish ; quills pale brown ; upper tail- 

 coverts and the central pair of rectrices rufescent-isabelline, with darker 

 centres the rest of the tail-feathers blackish, with the exception of the 

 outermost pair and the outer webs of the adjoining pair, which are pale 

 rufescent ; underparts white, a few spots or stripes extending downwards 

 from each side of the base of the bill light brown ; breast sparingly spotted 

 with bght-brown ; flanks pale vinous-brown ; axillaries and under wing- 

 coverts rufescent. 



Iris hazel ; bill pale brown ; feet yellowish-flesh-colour. 



Total length 7-50 inches, wing 4-35, eulmen -75, tarsus -90. 



Adult female similar to the male, but rather smaller. . 

 17 



