230 ALAUDHXE AL.EMON 



Lark is not very]common near Grahamstown, but is more numerous, 

 and resident, in the neighbourhoods of Colesberg and Hopetown, 

 and thence throughout the valley of the Orange Eiver. It is 

 common in Little and Great Namaqua Land. 



Habits. This Lark frequents from choice somewhat arid plains, 

 as well as stony hillsides and mountain tops. I have never met 

 with more than a pair together. It runs much on the ground and 

 with considerable speed, often stopping to crouch as if to avoid 

 observation ; when it does so it is by no means easily detected, so 

 closely does its plumage harmonise with the colours of the ground. 

 Its flight is undulating and seldom prolonged for any great distance. 

 These Larks feed much on insects and especially upon beetles, but 

 occasionally upon small grass and other seeds ; their ordinary call- 

 note is a clear and prolonged whistle, they also indulge occasionally 

 in a short but cheerful song. Towards the end of August or 

 beginning of September they proceed to nest. A slight cavity 

 scratched in the ground under cover of a tuft of grass is lined with 

 fine dry grass, and in it three eggs are laid about the end of 

 September. These are cream-coloured, spotted all over, but more 

 thickly in a ring round the widest part of the egg, with reddish and 

 purplish-brown. They average O90 x 0'65. 



132. Alaemon nivosa. Karroo Lark. 



Certhilauda nivosa, Swains., B. W. Afr.i, p. 213 (1837). 



Alauda codea, Smith, III. Zool. S. Afr. Aves, pi. 87, fig. 1 (winter 



plumage) (1843) ; Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 209 (1867). 

 Alauda lagepa, Smith III. Zool. S. Afr. Aves, pi. 87, fig. 2 (1843) 



(summer plumage) . 



Megalophomis guttatus, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 215 (1867). 

 Megalophonus lagepa, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 214 (1867) ; Gurney in 



Andersson's B. Damara Land, p. 200 (1872). 

 Alaemon nivosa, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 623; id. ed. Layard's 



B. S. Afr. p. 501 (1884) ; id. Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 522 (1890) ; Shelley, 



B. Afr. i, p. 14 (1896). 



Description. Adult in summer. Above, cinnamon-brown 

 streaked with black, the rump unstreaked ; wings dark brown, the 

 eathers edged with cinnamon ; upper tail-coverts rufous streaked 

 with black ; tail-feathers dark brown edged with paler brown, the 

 two centre feathers broadly ; the two outer feathers narrowly edged 

 with rufous ; eyebrow and lores buff ; in front of eye a dusky spot, 



