279 



CERTHILAUDA DUPONTI. 



(DUPONT^S LARK.) 



Alauda dupontii, Vieill. Faun. Franc, p. 173 (1828). 

 Alcemon dupontii, Keys. & Bias. Wirbelth. p. 36 (1840). 

 Certhilauda duponti, Bp. Cat. Met. Ucc. Eur. no. 103 (1842). 



Figuras notabiles. 



Vieill. Faun. Fran?, pi. 76. fig. 2; Roux, Orn. Prov. i. pi. 186; Bree, B. of Eur. p. 184; 



Werner, Atlas, — . 



Ad. supra brunneus, plumis medialiter saturate brunneis, fulvo marginatis : uropygio plumis dilutius brunneis, 

 anguste fulvo marginatis : tectricibus alarum pallide brunneis, fulvo marginatis, majoribus, prsesertim 

 exterioribus, rufescente lavatis : remigibus cinerascenti-brunneis, primario primo extus albido, secundariis 

 fulvescente marginatis et rufescente lavatis : cauda nigricante, rectricibus duabus centralibus pallide 

 rufescentibus, reliquis rufescenti-fulvo limbatis, penultima extus albo limbata, extima, fere omnino alba, 

 pogonio interno intiis brunneo notato : loris, supercilio et facie laterali fulvescenti-albis, hac minute 

 brunneo lineata : regione parotica, postica, brunnea : fascia mystacali brunnea indistincta : gutture 

 albido minute brunneo punctulato : pectore superiore et hypochondriis fulvescenti-albidis, rufescente 

 lavatis et brunneo aut rufescente minute lineatis : abdomine et subcaudalibus albicantibus : subalaribus 

 exterioribus fulvescenti-albis, interioribus et axillaribus pallide brunnescentibus : rostro nigrescenti- 

 brunneo : pedibus pallide rufescentibus : iride brunnea. 



Adult Male (Algerian Sahara). Head, back, and upper parts generally rufous brown, each feather bordered 

 with creamy buff or dirty white, those forming an indistinct streak along the centre of the crown, and 

 one above and behind each eye, as well as the sides of the nape, having broad white margins ; quills 

 dull dark brown, the first primary having the outer web white, the remaining quills with the outer web 

 edged with pale creamy brown, the secondaries being tipped, and the innermost secondaries margined 

 on both webs, with the same colour ; scapulars the same as the back ; tail dark brown, the outermost 

 feather on each side white, with the inner web brown at the base, this colour narrowing off towards the 

 tip, the two central feathers pale reddish brown ; chin and throat white, a narrow streak of dark 

 feathers from the base of each side of the mandible passing downwards and meeting the spots on the 

 lower part of the throat ; auriculars and sides of the head dull white, washed with rufous ; breast 

 white, on the lower part washed with rufous buff, and spotted with dark brown and dark rufous, each 

 feather having a dark centre ; flanks streaked with rufous ; rest of the underparts white ; under wing- 

 coverts dull buff; beak elongated and curved, blackish brown in colour; legs pale reddish; the feet 

 small and feeble; iris brown. Total length 7"5 inches, culmen TO, wing 4 - 0, tail 2'8, tarsus 0'87, 

 hind toe 0-37, hind claw 0"38. 



Young. Feathers on the upper parts conspicuously bordered with rufous ; the quills edged with bright red ; 

 the spots on the throat very pronounced, and the white on the abdomen and under tail-coverts washed 

 with yellowish (fide Loche). 



Few, if any, of our Larks are so little known as the present species, which, inhabiting the 



