6-10 



MR. R. B. SHARPE ON THE 



[Nov. 17, 



Inner secondaries with a nar- 

 row blackish shaft-line, from 

 which radiate about six narrow 

 blackish cross lines. 



Tail nearly uniform brown, 

 with an obsolete shade of greyish 

 on centre feathers, the external 

 feathers being light fawn-colour 

 on outer web. 



Eyebrow pale fawn. 



Under surface of body bright 

 fawn, the throat and chest spec- 

 kled with black. 



Inner secondaries dark brown 

 brown in the centre and at entire 

 base of feather, with only a few 

 imperfect radiations of black near 

 the tip. 



Tail dark brown, tipped with 

 white, the centre feathers clearly 

 washed with grey as well as 

 slightly tinged with rufous, and 

 plainly marked with blackish 

 radiations and spots near the 

 shafts. 



Eyebrow ashy fulvous. 



Under surface ashy fulvous, 

 concealing fawn-coloured bases to 

 the feathers, the chest-spots much 

 obscured. 



The measurements of Sir Andrew Smith's two specimens are as 



) 



The usual Alaudine variation in size is here apparent ; but the 

 absence of correct sexing to the specimens prevents me from drawing 

 any deduction. 



Captain Shelley shot a male at Stellendorf, in the Cape colony, 

 which had the soft parts as follows : — " Iris hazel ; legs white, with 

 a faint flesh-coloured shade ; bill dark horn-colour, with the basal 

 two thirds of the lower mandible and the edges of the upper one 

 towards the gape buff." It measured as follows — total length 

 6 inches, oilmen - 6, wing 3" 15, tail 2*55, tarsus 1*05. This bird 

 is in full moult, and seems to be a young individual gaining its first 

 complete dress. On the upper surface it has several conspicuous 

 white Siargins to the feathers and a great deal of rufous, reviving 

 the idea that it might be M. rufpilea — a conclusion which the broad 

 rufous margins to the quills seem to indorse ; but I find that the 

 rufous is confined to the outer margin of the primaries, whereas in 

 M. rnfipilea, of which I believe I have young and old, the rufous 

 extends across both webs. The explanation will, I trust, be found 

 in the fact that the young of M. apiata is much more rufous than 

 the adult. In Captain Shelley's specimen the eyebrow is creamy 

 white and very conspicuous, and the entire abdomen is also creamy 

 white. Canon Tristram's collection likewise contains two examples, 

 one marked M. rufpilea from Kuruman : the admixture of grey in 

 the rufous and the unfailing character of the quills shows that it is 

 M. apiata, notwithstanding the general rufous appearance. It is 



