129 [Vol. xxxiii. 



MlRAFRA SOBATENSIS, Sp. n. 



Adult male (in fresh plumage). In the colour-characters of 

 the wing and tail, on which Reichenow's key (Vog. Afr.) is 

 founded, it resembles M, fischeri (Reichenow), but differs 

 from that species in being considerably larger and in the 

 following points : — The whole of the upperside, including 

 all the inner secondaries, very dark sepia, almost black ; 

 no pale cross-bands on any of the feathers, except on the 

 upper tail-coverts ; the hind neck slightly browner than the 

 mantle, which has a greyish " bloom/' owing to the structure 

 .of the feathers. The underparts are more heavily spotted on 

 the crop. Iris vandyk-brown ; upper mandible blackish- 

 horn, lower pale drab ; legs and feet vinaeeous-fawn. 



Adidt female. Resembles the male, but is a trifle smaller. 



Measurements of 6 birds from the Sobat River, 28. i. 14- 

 4. ii. 14 : — 



3 S . Wing 83-87 mm. ; tail 58-59 > tarsus 25-27. 



3 ? . „ 81-82^ „ ; „ 56-57 ; „ 27. 



Hab. Plains near the mouth of the Sobat River, Anglo- 

 Egyptian Sudan. Nothing is known as to its breeding- 

 habits. 



Types in the British Museum: J. No. 400, 28. i. 14; 

 ?. No. 401, 1. ii. 14. 



Obs. In the Sobat Bush-Lark all the feathers of the 

 upper parts have the borders or tips pale drab with ochra- 

 ceous tints, as in M. fischeri in similar (fresh) plumage. 

 As in other species of Mirafra, the pale edges of these 

 feathers would no doubt become worn off in a few months 

 time, and the upperparts would then present a perfectly 

 uniform dark brown (sepia, but less black) appearance. 



M. zombie O.-Grant, ranging from Nyasaland to Ruwen- 

 zori, looks somewhat like a small form of M. sobat ensis ; 

 but it seldom, if ever, lacks some light rufous-coloured 

 cross-bars on the hind neck and scapular feathers. 



M. degeni O. -Grant, from Shoa and S. Abyssinia, nearly 

 resembles M. sobatensis in size, but not in the colour and 

 cross-barring of the mantle. 



