21Q BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



i 



nostrils basal, and concealed by the frontal plumes ; wings 

 long, with the first quill spurious, and the second rather 

 shorter than the third or fourth, which are nearly equal and 

 longest ; tail moderate, and slightly emarginated ; tarsi mode- 

 rate, longer than the middle toe, and slender ; toes very small, 

 the lateral ones equal, and strongly scutellated above ; the 

 claws short, slightly curved, and the hind claw rather long, 

 and nearly straight. 



420. Pyrrhulauda Leucotis, Stanley; Smith, 



Zool. S. A., PL 26; Loxia Leucotis, Salt. ; Alauda 

 Melanocephala, Licht. ; FringUla Otoleucus, Temrn., 

 PL CoL, 269, 2, 3. 



$ Head, neck, shoulders, breast, and abdomen, black ; 

 ears, half-collar on back of neck, and a blotch on each side of 

 the breast, hinder portion of flanks, and rump, white, the 

 two latter tinged with brown ; back and shoulders chesnut ; 

 tail umber-brown, except the outer feathers, which are rusty- 

 white. The female is dusky- brown, with a speckled breast. 

 Length, 5"; wing, 3" 3'"; tail, 2'". 



Inhabits plains thinly covered with dwarf shrubs, near to the Tropic 

 of Capricorn. Dr. A. Smith, loo. cit. 



421. Pyrrhulauda Verticalis, Smith, Append. 



to Kept, of Exped., p. 48, and Z. S. A., PL 25. 



HEAD, neck, and under parts, black-brown ; ears, top of head, 

 nuchal collar, and spot in front of each wing, white ; back 

 grey-brown ; tail slightly forked, the outermost feather of 

 each side brown towards the base of the inner vane, else- 

 where white. Length, 4" 9'" ; wing, 3" 2'" ; tail, 2" 3'". 



" Lives amongst grass, both to the north and south of Kurrichane." 

 Dr. Smith, loc. cit. 



422. Pyrrhulauda Australis, Smith, Zool. s. 



A., PL 24, and Append, to Kept, of Exped., p. 49 ; P. 

 Melanosoma, Swain. 



HEAD, above, black-brown ; back ferruginous, dashed with 

 dark-brown, beneath black; quills and tail, black-brown, the 

 two centre-feathers of the latter edged and tipped with light 

 rufous. Length, 5" ; wing, 3" 2"' ; tail, 2" 2'". 



" Inhabits the country along the Orange River, but extends farther 

 south than P. Verticalis. Dr. A. Smith, loc. cit. 



Dr. Smith states that all the African species are gregarious. This 

 accords with what I have observed respecting the Ceylonese P. Grrisea. 



