GALBRIDA THEKLvE MAJOR 259 



genera Ammomanes, Alcemon, and Otocorys, abound throughout a 

 great portion of the Vilayet. 



In Tunisia the range of the present subspecies seems to be con- 

 fined more or less to the inland semi-desert districts of the centre 

 and south of the Kegency, not extending north of the Atlas, or even, 

 so far as I am aware, to the sea-coast. The bird, indeed, appears to 

 be essentially a denizen of the Saharan region. On all the plains 

 lying to the west of Gafsa I found this form of Lark abundant. Like 

 the preceding subspecies, it tVequents open tracts of country and 

 may also be found on the dry salt-marshes of the Chott districts. In 

 its habits generally it resembl(!S G. c. macrorhyncha, as also in its song, 

 food, mode of nesting, and in the colour and markings of its eggs. 



GALERIDA THEKLyE MAJOR (Brehm). 



GREATEE SMALL-BILLED CRESTED LARK. 



Galerita theklae major, Brehm, Nmmi. 1858, p. 213. 



Galerida cristata, Koenig, J.f. 0. 1888, p. 217 ; id. J. f. 0. 1893, p. 31. 



Alauda cristata, Whitaker, Ibis, 1894, p. 93. 



Alauda cristata thecklae, Whitaker, Ibis, 1895, p. 99. 



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



Galerita thecklae harterti, Erlanger, J. f. 0. 1899, p. 332. 



Description.- — Adult male, spring, from Tabarka, North Tunisia. 



Upper parts dark greyish-brown, the feathers with darker centres and 

 lighter borders ; sides of neck rather lighter ; crest blackish ; quills dark 

 brown ; rump and upper tail-coverts rufescent-brown ; central pair of 

 rectrices greyish-brown, the remaining tail-feathers blackish, with the excep- 

 tion of the outermost pair, which are almost entirely pale rufous, and the 

 next adjoining pair, which have the outer web pale rufous ; underparts 

 white, tinged with yellowish ; a few minute blackish spots extending from 

 the base of the bill downwards on the sides of the throat ; breast thickly 

 spotted with blackish-brown ; sides of body and flanks streaked with greyish- 

 brown ; inside of wings and axillaries vinous-grey ; inside of the shoulder 

 greyish-white. 



Iris dark hazel ; bill dark grey ; feet flesh-colour. 



Adult female similar to the male, but rather smaller. 



Observations. — In the coloration and marking of the present form there 

 is no little variation, even among individuals from the same district, some 

 examples being darker, others paler, and others, again, more rufous. 



The yellow tinge on the underparts is not always present, indeed, as 

 often as not, it is totally absent. 



