Expedition to the Eastern Canary Islands. 243 



The measurements of this clutch are : — 



23 X 18-5 ; 22-5 x 17-25 ; 22 x 18 ; and 22-5 X 18 mm. 

 Another clutch was taken at Firgas in Gran Canaria, 

 28.iv. 13. 



Calandrella minor polatzeki. Polatzek's Short-toed Lark. 



Calandrella minor polatzeki Hart. ; Bannerman, Part I. 

 pp. 43, 4i, 45, 46, 49, 50, 52, 53, 54, 56, 58, 59. 



The young of this desert Lark is easily distinguished in 

 life from the adult by the much lighter sand-coloured 

 plumage, and by the light buff tips to the feathers of the 

 head, mantle, and back. The secondaries are very broadly 

 edged with sandy-buff and there is a conspicuous narrow 

 inner margin of deep sepia-brown ; this contrasts strongly 

 with the lighter brown colour of the rest of the feather, the 

 shaft of which is also dark sepia-brown. The crest is much 

 shorter in the immature birds than in the adults. In 

 nestlings the upper parts have a spotted appearance caused 

 by the deep brown centres to the feathers of the crown and 

 back which are tipped with buff. 



»■ A very complete description of the seasonal changes of 

 this desert Lark is given by Herr Polatzek (Orn. Jahrb. 

 1908, p. 193). 



Polatzek's Short-toed Lark is one of the commonest 

 birds to be met with in the two large eastern islands, 

 where, however, it is not universally distributed. Wherever 

 there is corn planted, particularly on the higher ground, 

 these little birds are most plentiful. They abound on the 

 central plains of Fuerteventura, but are less common on 

 the west coast. In Lanzarote they were entirely absent 

 from the valley of Haria, but swarmed on the high table- 

 land which we crossed before descending into this valley. 

 In the smaller islets they were entirely absent. During 

 our journey in Fuerteventura and Lanzarote a large number 

 of young birds were noted, and a nest containing young 

 was found at Antigua (Fuerteventura) on May the 15th. 



A series was obtained from Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. 



Bill light horn-colour; iris dark hazel; feet pale buff. 



R 2 



