18/4.] LARKS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA. 619 



rectrix narrowly margined on the outer web with buffy white ; throat 

 entirely white ; rest of under surface of body bright sandy rufous, 

 with a few more or less distinct white margins to some of the 

 feathers ; the breast minutely spotted with dark brown ; under 

 wing-coverts pale sandy rufous, those on the edge of the wing 

 slightly mottled with brown ; "iris hazel" (Atmore). 



Total length 6*1 inches, culmen OS5, wing 3*7, tail 2'6, tarsus 

 1-15. 



Adult female. Similar to the male in colour, but smaller, and 

 having a much shorter bill. 



Total length 5-5 inches, culmen 0"75, wing 3'5, tail 2*1, tarsus 

 1-05. 



Young. The young bird is principally distinguished by its spotted 

 plumage, the white margins to the feathers of the upper surface 

 being rather spots than terminal margins, and further discrimi- 

 nated by small subterminal black spots. Around the hind neck 

 is a distinct shade of fulvous, almost forming a collar and much 

 plainer than in the adult bird ; the margins to the wing- coverts very 

 broadly and distinctly white ; throat, lores, and a scarcely perceptible 

 superciliary line white ; rest of under surface pale sandy rufous, 

 becoming gradually more fulvous on the abdomen ; the breast 

 slightly spotted with pale brown, the feathers margined with whitish. 



In winter the young bird is very different, having very broad 

 circular margins of white to all the feathers of the upper surface, with 

 obscure brown central streaks, the under surface very pale and with 

 scarcely any perceptible brown spots on the breast. 



What I consider to be the winter plumage of this species is repre- 

 sented by two Damara specimens in my collection. These birds are 

 very pale sandy colour, narrowly streaked with dark brown shaft- 

 lines ; throat white. ; rest of under surface pale sandy isabelline, with 

 only the faintest trace of eight brown spots on the breast. 



This is a species which varies much in size, as will be seen by the 

 following measurements. 



Total 



length, bill. wing. tarsus. 



in. in. in. in. 



1. <$ ad., Hope Town (Atmore) .... 6'2 085 3'5 1 05 



2. d ad., Great Namaqua Land (An- 



dersson) 6*1 085 3-45 1*0 



3. <$ juv. (winter), Wilson's Fountain 



(Andersson) 5*9 0-9 35 1*1 



4. $ ad. (winter), Damara Land (An- 



dersson) 4-6 0-75 30 10 



5. <5 ad. (winter), Damara Land (An- 



dersson) 5-7 0-85 3-3 1 05 



6. $ juv., Great Namaqua Land (An- 



dersson) 5-6 07 3-25 10 



It will be noticed by the list of localities that it also seems to have a 

 more northern range than C. garrula, though it probably meets that 

 species in the eastern districts of South Africa, as also at Colesberg ; 



40* 



