642 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON THE [Nov. 17, 



dusky; tarsi and feet pale dusky; iris light tawny" (Ayres). 

 Total length 6 - 3 inches, cuhnen 0*0, wing 3 - 35, tail 2 - 6, tarsus 1*05. 



Young. Similar to the adult, but far deeper cinnamon, and every- 

 where barred with black wavy lines on the upper surface, the head 

 included ; tail with a broad centre of ashy brown, followed by 

 another subterminal line along the apical portion of the feather, this 

 line evidently breaking up into the radiations from the shaft which 

 are seen in the tail-feathers of the adult ; ear-coverts cinnamon, 

 thickly spotted with black ; under surface of body isabelline, the 

 throat with a few concealed brown bars, the flanks and thighs 

 deeper rufous slightly mottled with brown barrings, the chest much 

 deeper cinnamon, especially on the sides ; the latter being slightly 

 varied with blackish wavy lines, the centre of the chest sparsely 

 spotted with blackish. Total length 5 - 8 inches, culmen 0'6, wing 

 3-0, tail 2-3o, tarsus 1*0. 



Hab. The northern districts of the Cape colony, ranging into the 

 Transvaal. 



This species is nearly allied to M. apiata, which it resembles in 

 its radiated tail and peculiar mottled plumage. It is, however, uot 

 the same bird, but a distinct species, distinguished by its general cin- 

 namon-coloured appearance and rufous head, but particularly by its 

 red wings, the cinnamon-colour occupying the basal two thirds of both 

 webs, and not being confined to the basal portion of the outer web, 

 as in M. apiata. In size the two species appear to be very similar. 



Specitnens examined. 



E mus. B. B. S. : — juv. Transvaal (T. Ayres). 



E mus. T. E. Buckley: — a, tfad. Orange Free State, June 5, 

 1873 (T. E. B.). 



E mus. H. B. Tristram: — a, ad. Colesberg (Arnot). b. Coles- 

 berg (Ortlepp). c. Trausvaal (Ayres). 



15. MlRAFRA AFRICANA. 



Mirqfra africana, Smith, Report Exp. S. Afr. App. p. 47 (1836) ; 

 id. 111. Zool. S. Afr. Aves, pi. lxxxviii. fig. I (1849) ; Bianc. Spec. 

 Zool. Mosamb. fasc. xviii. p. 327 (1867). 



Alauda planicola, Licht. Verz. Vbg. Kafferl. p. 14 (1842, descr. 

 nulld); Giebel, Thes. Om. p. 299 (1872). 



Meyalophonus africanus, Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 382 (1844) ; Layard, 

 B. S. Afr. p. 213 (1867). 



Meyalophonus occidentalis, Hartl. Orn. W. Afr. p. 153 (1857) ; 

 Bocage, J orn. Lisb. ii. p. 48 (1868). 



Meyalophonus rostratus, Hartl. Ibis, 1863, p. 327, pi. ix. ; Layard, 

 B. S. Afr. p. 212 (1867). 



Meyalophonus planicola, Finsch & Hartl. Vog. Ostafr. p. 463 

 (1870); Grav, Hand-1. B. ii. p. 122 (1870); Ayres, Ibis, 1871, 

 p. 259. 



Alauda africana, Sharpe, Cat. Afr. B. p. 71 (1871); Buckley, 

 Ibis, 1874, p. 384. 



Adult male in summer plumage. Above light fawn-brown, all the 



