106 BIFASCIATED LARK. 



toe. A broad black band across the white secondaries. Length eight 

 inches six lines. — Temminck, which is exactly the length of the female 

 specimen sent me by Mr. Tristram, and which is figured. 



The English naturalist who confines his attention to his own fauna, 

 a habit, the breach of which, will afford him great pleasure and 

 instruction, will be struck with the difference between the Bifasciated 

 Lark and one or two others which I shall have to bring before his 

 notice, and the well-known graceful forms of our Skylark or Wood- 

 lark. But the family is well linked together by similarity of structure 

 and habit, which we shall see as we proceed. 



The Bifasciated Lark is an inhabitant of Andalusia and Candia, 

 and lias been seen occasionally in Sicily and the south of France. 

 Dr. Leith Adams informs me that this bird is also found in the 

 deserts of Western Asia and Scinde. Its real home, however, is in 

 the north of Africa, where its habits have been observed by Mr. 

 Tristram, and by whom the bird which I have figured was shot. I 

 extract the following from one of Mr. Tristram's papers on the orni- 

 thology of Northern Africa, in that excellent and useful work, the 

 "Ibis," vol. i., p. 426: — "The Bifasciated Lark is universally distri- 

 buted throughout the whole of the true desert. Unlike its congeners 

 it seems to be a most solitary bird, and seldom, except in the 

 breeding-season, have I seen two together. But a day rarely occurred 

 when we did not obtain a few specimens on the march; and indeed 

 this game formed our principal and favourite animal food. Although 

 its uniform of inconspicuous drab renders it most difficult of detection 

 on the ground, its restless habits soon attract attention. The moment 

 it extends its wings the broad black bar across the snow-white secon- 

 daries attracts the eye, and renders it an easy mark. At first sight 

 it reminded me much of a Plover, in the manner in which it rose 

 and scudded away. Indeed there is nothing of the Lark in its 

 flight, except in early morning, when I have watched it rise per- 

 pendicularly to some elevation, and then drop suddenly, repeating 

 these gambols uninterruptedly, over exactly the same spot for nearly 

 an hour, accompanying itself by a loud whistling song. It runs with 

 great rapidity, and it requires no little speed of foot to capture a 

 broken-winged victim. In the stomach of those I opened I found 

 small coleoptera, sand-flies, and hard seeds. 



There is something very graceful in all its movements, and the 

 distinct markings of its wings, and the expansion of its long black 

 tail, render it really a beautiful bird when flying. 



