SPIZOCORYS. ALAUDA. 125 



Genus SPIZOCORYS, Sundev. 



Spizocorys conirostris (Sundev.). 

 (Plate VII. figa. 8 & 9.) 



Spizocorys conirostris, Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. M. xiii. p. 564 (1890) ; 



Stark, Faun. S. Afr., Birds, I p. 220 (1900) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. \. 



p. 106 (1906). 

 Calandrella conirostris, Shelley, B. Afr. iii. p. 133 (1902). 



Eggs of the Pink-hilled Lark are of a somewhat pointed oval 

 shape and slightly glossy; the ground-colour is white or pale 

 greenish-white, spotted all over, especially round the larger end, 

 with olive-brown and purplish-grey. In four eggs from Wolvehoek 

 the ground-colour is white and the markings are mostly very fine, 

 but in the set from Heilbron the ground-colour is pale greenish- 

 white and the markings are much bolder, many taking the form of 

 small rounded blotches. They vary from '74 to '8 in length, and 

 from '51 to '54 in breadth. 



3. Heilbron, O.R.C., Nov. R. B. Woosnam, Esq. [0.]. 



2. Wolvehok, O.R.C., Jan. R. B. Woosnam, Esq. [0.1 



2. Wolvehoek, 8th Jan. R. B. Woosnam, Esq. [0.]. 



Genus ALAUDA, Linn. 



Alauda arvensis, Linn. 



Alauda arvensis, Thien. Fortpflanz. ges. Vog. p 377, tab. xxvi. fig. 1, a-e 

 (184-5-54) ; Baedeker, Eier Eur. Vog. tab. 66. tig. 4 (1855-63) ; 

 Hewitson, E;/gs of Brit. Birds, i. p. 176, pi. xlv. fig. i (1856); 

 Dresser, Birds Eur. iv. p. 307 (1871) ; Seebohm, Brit. Birds, ii. 

 p. 266, pi. 15 (1884) ; id., Birds Japan. Emp. p. 118 (1890) ; Sharpe, 

 Cat. Birds B, M. xiii. p. 567 (1890) ; Oaf.es, Fauna Brit. Ind., Birds, 

 ii. p. 324 (1890) ; id., ed. Hume, Nesf,s # Eggs Ind. Birds, ii. 



Sharpe, Hand-l. v. p. 166 (1906). 

 Alauda arvensis arvensis, Hartert, Vog. Pal. Faun. pt. iii. p. 244 (1905). 



Eggs of the Sky-Lark vary from a pointed to a blunt oval form, 

 but the majority are pointed and a few are pyriform. Many 

 specimens exhibit a high gloss, others are comparatively dull. 

 The ground-colour varies from dull white to grey and greenish- 

 white, and is, as a rule, profusely mottled with various shades of 

 brown and underlying purplish-grey or pale lavender. The 

 markings are frequently tinged with olive, and occasionally with 

 rufous ; and while in some specimens they are evenly spread over 

 the entire surface of the shell, in others they are disposed more 

 densely at the broad end and form a cap or zone. Specimens 

 measure from -85 to T02 in length, and from *61 to -72 in 

 breadth. 



