AMMOMANES DESERTI (Licht.Y AMMOMANES 



ISABELLINA [Temm.), 

 AND ISABELLINE BIHDS. 



By Mr. G. D. ROWLEY. 



Cabanis, the founder of this genus, gives the derivation (Mus. Hein. i. 

 p. 125, 1850) : — "■Ammomanes : th. afMfxo?, ov, rj, sand ; and fiaipco" or ixaivofxai, 

 I madly wish for, dote upon. Thus hippomanes. 



Amomanes (1853) et Annomanes (1855), Bp., w^ere probably, both of 

 them, printer's errors. They are mentioned in Gray's ' Hand-list of Genera 

 and Species,' part ii. p. 121. no. 1941 (1870). 



Type A. pallida. 



Mr. R. B. Sharpe (P. Z. S. 1874, part iv. p. 626) says :— " The characters 

 given in the synopsis define the relations of this genus, in which a system of 

 uniform dorsal coloration appears to be a point of no small generic 

 significance." Plate lxxvi. fig. 2, Ammomanes grayi, is a very pretty 

 example of a light-sandy, isabelline bird. 



Mr. Alfred Russel Wallace, in his 'Natural Selection,' quotes the 

 Rev. H. B.Tristram (Ibis, vol. i. 1859, p. 430) thus :— " In the Desert, 

 where neither trees, brushwood, nor even undulation of surface afford the 

 slightest protection from its foes, a modification of colour, which shall be 

 assimilated to that of the surrounding country, is absolutely necessary. 

 Hence, without exception, the upper plumage of every bird, whether Lark, 

 Chat, Sylvian, or Sand-grouse, and also the fur of all the small mammals, 

 and the skin of all the Snakes and Lizards, is of one uniform isabelline or 

 sand colour." 



