FBINGILLIDA 211 



P. Australis congregates in flocks of several hundreds, and builds on 

 the ground, under the shelter of a tuft of grass or some dwarf shrub. 

 It has been sent to me from Colesberg by Mr. Arnot ; and I found it 

 plentiful on a limited tract of country near Nel's Poort, Beaufort. It 

 seemed to keep in small parties of four or five individuals, and feed on 

 small grass seeds. 



: Genus MEGALOPHONUS, G. R. Gray. 

 Bill moderate, slender, compressed with the culmen some- 

 what curved to the tip ; the nostrils basal, lateral, and covered 

 only by a membrane ; wings very short, with the first quill 

 short, and the second nearly as long as the third, which is 

 the longest ; tail moderate ; tarsi longer than the middle toe, 

 and slender ; toes moderate, the lateral ones equal ; and the 

 hind claw short, and somewhat curved. 



423. Megalophonus Ruflpileus. (Vieii.) 



Vol. 2, p. 118 ; Alauda Ruficapilla. Steph. ; L'Alou- 

 ette & Callotte Mousse, Le Vail, Vol. 198. 



TOP of head, marroon-red, with a black line down the centre 

 of each feather ; back of neck, back, shoulders, and rump, 

 earthy- brown, with blackish marks across the feathers ; throat, 

 chest, belly, and flanks, dirty greyish- white, with brown 

 markings ; belly and vent inclining to yellow ; wing-feathers 

 reddish grey-brown, waved with brownish-black ; tail dirty- 

 white on the edge. 



Le Vaillant states he found but three specimens of the lark, all in 

 the country of the Houswaanas. 



Sundevall doubts its existence, as it has not been seen since. I can- 

 not help thinking that Le Vaillant's figure and description have been 

 taken from the bird identified as Brachonyx Erythronothus of Stephens. 



424. Megalophonus Pyrrhonothus. (Vieii.) 



N. Diet. d'His. Nat., 1, 361 ; Cuv., Vol. 2, p. 117; 

 L'Aloutte d dos Roux, Le Vail, No. 197; Enkelde 

 Leeuwerk of Dutch Colonists. 



ALL the upper parts, with the exception of the rump, which 

 is reddish, are of a grey-brown, shading into brown-black ; 

 underneath dirty-white, with some brown lines on the chest. 



Le Vaillant states that this bird frequents bushy plains, perching 

 readily on bushes and trees at the edges of woods, singing sweetly. 

 I feel convinced that this is identical with Anthus Leucophrys, Vieii. , 

 which goes by the name of " Enkelde Leeuwerk " among the colonists. 



