ALAUDID^E MIRAFRA 211 



rufous edges and narrow black shaft-sfcreaks ; quills with broad 

 rufous margins and dark brown centres; upper tail-coverts pale 

 brown ; tail-feathers dark brown edged with reddish-brown, the 

 outer web of the outermost edged with whitish ; eyebrow, feathers 

 round the eye and lores whitish ; spot in front of eye dusky ; ear- 

 coverts bright rufous; cheeks and under surface whitish, with 

 triangular dusky spots on the chest ; under wing-coverts and inner 

 webs of quills rufous. . 



Iris chestnut ; bill yellow-brown ; legs and feet flesh-coloured. 



Length 6-75 ; wing 3-70 ; tail 2-90 ; tarsus 0-98 ; culmen 0-60. 



Adult female. Similar to the male in colour, but rather smaller. 



Length 5-75 ; wing 3-45 ; tail 2-55. 



In winter the plumage is less bright owing to the disappearance 

 of the rufous margins to the feathers, which are now sandy-brown, 

 the spots on the breast are also less numerous. 



Young. Resemble the adults in summer plumage, but are 

 brighter and have the chest more thickly spotted. 



Distribution. South Africa : Northern Cape Colony bordering 

 on the Orange Eiver ; northward to the Zambesi and Cunene 

 Eivers. It is not uncommon near Colesberg and Hopetown in 

 Cape Colony, but is much more numerous to the north of the 

 Orange River in Griqualand West and Bechuanaland. Andersson 

 writes, " This bird is very frequent in the neighbourhood of Otjim- 

 binque, and is not uncommon in various other parts of Damara and 

 Great Namaqualand." 



Habits. Near Colesberg, says Mr. Ortlepp, it is " found singly, 

 inhabiting wooded places, and abounding on tall camel or thorn 

 trees, from whose topmost twigs they are frequently to be heard 

 pouring out a sweet sustained song." 



Andersson writes : " It is found in pairs, and is comparatively 

 tame, flying but a short distance when disturbed, and settling on 

 the ground or on a bush or tree ; it has a kind of chirping song." 



118. Mirafra damarensis. Damara Lark. 



Mirafra damarensis, Sliarpe, P. Z. S., 1874, p. 650, pi. 75, fig. 2; id. 

 ed. Layard's B. 8. Afr. p. 522 (1884) ; id. Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 612 

 (1890) ; Shelley. B. Afr. i, p. 16 (1896). 



Description. Adult male in winter. Above sandy-grey narrowly 

 streaked with black ; wing-coverts paler with grey margins ; greater 

 coverts fawn-colour margined with whitish ; quills dark brown 



