632 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON THE [Nov. 1", 



figured (badly) in ' The Ibis ' for 1874 (p. 1 03). The general colour 

 of this bird above is reddish sand-colour, varied with black centres 

 to the feathers ; and the under surface is likewise deep sandy rufous 

 with white throat and triangular chest-spots (wing 30). This 

 specimen was shot at Potchefstroom by Mr. Ayres, on the 16th 

 of June, 1872, and is a female. Another female, killed by Mr. 

 Andersson at Ondonga on the 1st of November, 1867, is in what I 

 take to be the winter dress of the bird. The general colour is a 

 sandy buff, with no rufous tinge to speak of, but with narrow black- 

 ish centres to the feathers ; and the under surface is buffy white 

 tiuged with sandy rufous on the chest, which is streaked with narrow 

 little spots of blackish brown : the throat and sides of the face are 

 white, with a blackish malar stripe forming an indistinct moustache. 

 I think there can be no doubt of this being the winter plumage of 

 A. conirostris. The difference of being more meaty is usual in the 

 winter dress of Larks; and the proportions fairly agree (wing 2 - 85, 

 tarsus 0*7o). Two male specimens are in my own collection from 

 the Hountop River, Great Namaqua Land, shot by Mr. Andersson 

 on the 3rd of June, 1862. These birds are intermediate between 

 the winter and summer specimens described. They are rather mealy 

 in appearance ; but the dark centres to the feathers of the upper 

 surface are becoming somewhat pronounced, and several of the dark 

 chest-spots are developing, appearing as if the summer plumage 

 were gained by the wearing-off of the sandy margins. These birds 

 have the wing 2 - 9-3 - inches, and the tarsus 0*75. 



The white on the outer tail-feathers varies very much in extent. 

 In this young specimen it occupies the outer web and half of the inner 

 one, as it does also in Wahlberg's Transvaal skin and the Ondonga 

 female ; but in the full-plumaged bird in Mr. Gurney's collection, 

 and in both the Namaqua examples the sandy white is confined to 

 the outer web and forms a narrow margin to the tail. 



Young. Above dark brown, the feathers washed with sandy colour 

 and tipped with white ; the hind neck inclining to ashy grey, the 

 white tips almost imperceptible ; wing-coverts dull brown margined 

 with sand-colour and ending in a white tip ; quills and tail much 

 as in adult, but inclining to whitish at the tips of the feathers ; lores 

 dusky blackish ; sides of face nearly uniform brown, with a blackish 

 streak running along the upper margin of the ear-coverts and down 

 the cheeks ; under surface pale isabelline, the throat spotted with 

 dusky, and having on each side a moustachial streak of the same, 

 the breast inclining to sandy brown on the sides and obscurely 

 spotted with dusky. 



Hab. Caffraria, and the Transvaal (summer) to Damara Land 

 (winter). 



Specimens examined. 



E mits. Brit. : — a, ad. Near Wilson's Fountain, Damara Land 

 (C. J. Andersson). b, c, <$ . Hountop River, Great Namaqua Land, 

 May 27, 1862 (C.J. A.). 



E mvs. R.B.S..—a, $ ad. Transvaal (TFahtberr/). b, rf ad. 



