Vol. xlli.] 124 



are from all accounts similar. It would appear therefore 

 that G. c. gafsic cannot be maintained. 



" On the other hand, there is in the extreme south-east 

 corner of Tunisia a stretch of country — very desolate stony 

 desert — cut off from the central plains of the Regeccy by 

 a range of mountains, the Djebel Matmata. Specimens of 

 the Long-billed Crested Lark collected at Tatahouine in the 

 centre of this district show marked differences to examples 

 collected at Gafsa and Oglet Alima, as well as to typical 

 examples of G. c. arenicola from Algeria in the darker and 

 more rufous coloration of the upper parts and by the 

 heavier streaking of the breast." 



I therefore propose to call this race : — 



~t- Galerida cristata whitakeri, Subsp. nov. 



lype (in the British Museum), ^ ad. Oct. 1899. 



Tatahouine, S.E. Tunisia, collected hj M. Blanc for 

 Mr. Whitaker. 



Bill 20, wing 110, tarsus 25 mm. 



" Tatahouine is 150 miles from the type-locality of G. c. 

 reichenowi, and when we remember what an effective barrier 

 a range of mountains usually proves to birds of this class, 

 and how they seem to be affected by the soil on which they 

 live, it is not so surprising to find a new race of Crested 

 Lark isolated in this little corner of the Regency. 



" It may be noted that there is already a Short-billed 

 form of the Crested Lark {G, tJieklce carolince), described 

 from this desert, which differs in its pronounced cinnamon- 

 rufous coloration from G. t. superflua, the form inhabiting 

 the deserts further north. 



"I name this Lark in honour of Mr. J. I. S. Whitaker, 

 who has kindly sent me his series of Tunisian Crested Larks 

 from his private collection in Palermo. Mr. Whitaker, in 

 his great work (' Birds of Tunisia,' 1905, p. 255), noted 

 the very distinct rufous coloration in examples of this 

 Lark, almost sufficient, he thought, to warrant subspecific 

 separation. He has now generously presented the type to 

 the National (Jollection." 



