208 ALAUDID^E MARAFRA 



from the sources of that stream. My attention was attracted to 

 the bird by its large size, dipping flight, and Pipit-like appearance." 



. 



115. Mirafra sabota. Sabota Lark. 



Mirafra sabota, Smith, Rep. Exp. Centr. Afr. 1836, p. 47; id. 111. Zool. 



8. Afr. Birds, pi. 89, fig. 2 (1843) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. 8. Afr. 



p. 526 (1884) ; id. Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 618 (1890) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, 



p. 16 (1896). 

 Megalophonus sabota, Gray, Gen. B. ii, p. 382 (1844) ; Layard, B. 8. 



Afr. p. 213 (1867). 



Description. Adult male in winter. Above, fawn-colour, the 

 centre of each feather dusky brown ; back of neck tinged with 

 reddish ; wiDg-coverts dark brown with broad margins of fawn- 

 colour ; primary coverts grey-brown edged and tipped with white ; 

 quills dark brown edged with buff and tipped with white ; upper tail- 

 coverts dark brown edged and tipped with fulvous ; tail-feathers 

 blackish tipped with white and edged with buff ; crown fawn-colour 

 mottled with blackish ; eyebrow and streak below eye white ; in 

 front of eye black; ear-coverts buff- col our; cheeks buff spotted 

 with black ; throat buff-white ; rest of under surface brownish- 

 white, the chest marked with triangular spots of dark brown ; the 

 flanks tinged, the sides streaked with rufous ; a illaries and under 

 wing-coverts grey margined with white. 



Iris brown; bill horn-coloured, the upper mandible darker; 

 legs and feet flesh-coloured. 



Length 5-80 ; wing 3-30 ; tail 2-40 ; tarsus 0-90 ; culmen 0-55. 



In summer the light margins to the feathers of the upper parts 

 disappear and the entire plumage is rufous-brown ; the chest is 

 tinged with rufous and more distinctly spotted. 



Adult female. Eesembles the male in colour, but is smaller. 



Length 5-50 ; wing 3-25 ; tail 2-25. 



Distribution. East and South-east Africa ; from the Orange 

 Free State to Masai Land. Of rather common occurrence in some 

 parts of the Transvaal, Bechuana, and Matabili Lands. 



Habits. In the Transvaal these Larks frequent open glades on 

 the outskirts of the bush country. They feed on the ground in 

 small parties or in pairs, and if disturbed, sometimes fly off to 

 settle again on the ground, but more frequently to take refuge on 

 the nearest bush or low tree. Sir Andrew Smith, who met with 

 this species near Latakoo, described it as having there the same 



