214 ALAUDID^ MIKAFBA 



met with this species at Kuruman and Frank Gates to the south 

 of the Zambesi. Andersson did not fall in with it in Damara 

 Land, although it is common to the north of the Cunene Kiver 

 according to Anchieta. 



Habits. Generally met with on open grassy plains in pairs, 

 feeding on the ground on small seeds and insects. If alarmed 

 or followed it runs along the ground with great swiftness and 

 frequently hides under the grass ; sometimes it takes wing at 

 once uttering a sharp cry as it does so. On sunny days this 

 Lark is fond of airing itself on the top of a bush, constantly 

 opening and shutting its wings as it utters its loud note. At 

 times it rises a few yards in the air with a fluttering flight, during 

 which it sings a few notes not unmelodiously. In the North- 

 western Transvaal these Larks breed in numbers. The nest is 

 well concealed and by no means easy to find. A hollow is 

 scratched well under shelter of a tuft of grass and lined with 

 fine dry grass, some grass stems are then pulled over the nest 

 and intertwined with long blades of dry grass so as to form an 

 arched bower, a small side entrance being left on one side. Three 

 elongated eggs are laid about the second week in December ; these 

 are cream-coloured, spotted all over with pale brown, more thickly 

 at the obtuse end with dark brown and purplish -brown, often in 

 the form of a zone. They average 0-95 x O'GO. 



120. Mirafra fringillaris. Finch-like Lark. 



Mirafra fringillaris, Sundev. (Efv. K. Vet. -Ah. Fork. StocWi. 1850, 

 p. 99 ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 649, pi. 75, fig. 1 ; id. ed. Layards 

 B. S. Afr. p. 527 (1884) ; id. Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 606 (1890) ; Shelley, 

 B. Afr. i, p. 15 (1896). 



Description. Adult male. Above, dusky brown, the feathers 

 edged with buff, the back tinged with rufous ; wing-coverts brown 

 edged with reddish-brown ; quills darker brown margined with 

 rufous ; tail dark brown, edged with fulvous ; the outer feather 

 chiefly white, the next white on the external edge ; eyebrow and 

 lores huffish ; ear- coverts rufous spotted with brown ; sides of 

 neck, cheeks, and throat buff ; rest of under surface cream-coloured 

 thickly spotted with dark brown on the chest ; under surface of 

 quills and under wing-coverts buff- white; edge of wing mottled 

 brown and white. 



