290 



in the least differ from the others ; nor does another, his type of Galerita brachyura, except that the wing and 

 tail are a trifle shorter ; but I have a dark bird from Egypt with equally short wings and tail. 



Egypt. Five specimens from this country, collected by Captain G. E. Shelley, and one by Mr. E. 

 Cavendish Taylor, are precisely similar to the ordinary run of German birds, except that Mr. Taylor's bird 

 has the spots on the breast rather larger and darker. 



Abyssinia. Two examples are now before me, both of which were collected by Mr. Jesse, one at Senafe 

 on the 24th of April, and the other at Amba on the 21st of August ; the former of these has the underparts 

 washed with pale rufous ; the wings and tail very dark, and broadly margined with rufous ; and the feathers 

 on the back also dark, and broadly margined with dull rufous brown. The latter approaches very closely to 

 specimens of G. macrorhyncha from Algeria both in measurements and colour, and especially in the size of 

 the bill, but is not equal in size to the smallest example of that species. It most closely resembles the bird 

 described by Mr. Hume, from Yarkand, under the name of Galerita magna. Of the above two specimens an 

 extra Plate will be given. One of the three Abyssinian specimens collected by Mr. Blanford, now in the 

 British Museum (spec, e), is an unusually dark bird, and has the breast very closely and distinctly spotted. 



North-western Africa. From here I have a large and somewhas puzzling series. Of the true G. cristata, 

 similar in every respect to specimens from Germany and France, I have before me four from Algeria and four 

 from Tunis. Of the former, one from the collection of Canon Tristram is labelled G. abyssinica. Three others 

 from Algeria, differing merely in having the upper parts paler, and slightly tinged with rufous, and the tail 

 very rufous, are labelled by Canon Tristram G. abyssinica ; but I cannot separate them specifically from the 

 Common Crested Lark. They appear to be tending towards the pale desert race, which I have preferred to 

 keep distinct under the name of G. isabellina, and agree very closely with that species in measurements, though 

 not in colour. Two more from Algeria, types of Canon Tristram's Galerita arenicola, are in colour inter- 

 mediate between those last mentioned and typical examples of Galerita cristata from Germany; but in size, 

 and especially as regards the length of bill, they considerably exceed the former. Two others, also from 

 Algeria, are both referable to G. isabellina, and are labelled by Canon Tristram as such. In measurements 

 they differ very slightly from the rufous varieties above spoken of, but are very pale sandy-coloured above, and 

 almost pure white below, only having a few markings on the breast, and still fewer on the throat. I have 

 hesitated somewhat in deciding to separate G. isabellina as a distinct species ; but as I have not in the series 

 before me any specimens forming a distinct link between it and G. cristata, I have deemed it advisable to keep 

 it distinct. Six other specimens, all obtained in Algeria, are referable to G. macrorhyncha, which is distin- 

 guishable from G. cristata by its larger size and much lai'ger bill. It is true that individual specimens of the 

 latter do occasionally approach closely to the former ; but the smallest G. macrorhyncha is always larger than the 

 largest G. cristata, though in colour and shade of plumage they do not always differ. In the British Museum 

 are three specimens from Senegal which I have, thanks to the courtesy of the officials, been able to examine. 

 They bear the very closest resemblance to the variety from Spain, described by Brehm under the name of 

 G. theklae, both in measurements and plumage, and have the spots on the breast, like those on the breast of 

 the Wood-Lark, very clearly defined. 



From Asia I have specimens from : — 



Persia. Nine birds from Shiraz and Bushire, collected by Mr. Blanford, differ somewhat inter se, one in 

 particular, a female from Shiraz, shot in the summer of 1870, being precisely similar in plumage to a rather 

 dull and dark bird from France, whereas one or two are as pale as the palest examples from Baluchistan, and 

 have the spots on the breast very clearly marked. The palest of these specimens, compared with Canon 

 Tristram's type of G. arenicola, resembles it very closely both in colour of plumage and measurements. 



Baluchistan. Three specimens, obtained by Mr. Blanford, are somewhat paler and a trifle greyer than 

 Persian examples, which they otherwise closely resemble, except that the underparts are very white without 

 any wash of buff, and the spots on the breast are very clearly defined ; compared with Spanish specimens of 

 what I suppose to be so-called G. theklae, they agree very closely. 



