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AMMOMANES CINCTURA. 



(GOULD'S DESERT-LARK.) 



Melanocorypha cinctura, Gould, Voy. Beagle, B. p. 87 (1841). 

 Alauda arenicolor, Sundev. Ofv. Vet. Ak. Forh. 1850, p. 128. 

 Ammomanes pallida, Cab. Mus. Hein. i. p. 125 (1850). 

 Alauda elegans, C. L. Brehm, Vogelfang, p. 122 (1855). 

 Annomanes regulus, Bp. Compt. Rend. xliv. p. 1066 (1857). 

 Annomanes elegans (Br.), Bp. torn. cit. p. 1066 (1857). 

 Ammomanes elegans (Br.), Tristram, Ibis, 1859, p. 34. 

 Ammomanes regulus (Bp.), Tristram, Ibis, 1859, p. 423. 

 Ammomanes arenicolor (Sund.), Shelley, B. of Egypt, p. 137(1872). 



Figura nulla. 



Ad. A. deserti similis, sed minor et gracilior : Cauda, emarginata, rufescenti-isabellina, rectricibus centralibus 

 valde et distincte, lateralibus gradatim angustiiis nigro-fusco terminatis, rectrice extima. in pogonio 

 externo immaculato et in pogonio interno macula minore nigro-fusca, instructs : remigibus nigro-fusco 

 terminatis : rostro et pedibus griseis : iride fusca. 



Adult Female (Malta, April 1867) . In general colour of plumage resembling A. deserti, but smaller in size, 

 with the tail differently marked, and the arrangement of the primaries rather different ; first primary 

 short, fully l - 85 inch shorter than the second, which is the longest, the third and fourth, however, 

 being almost equal to it in length ; all the primaries with dark tips ; tail slightly forked, reddish 

 isabelline in colour, the central rectrices broadly and distinctly terminated with blackish brown, this 

 terminal band gradually diminishing until on the outermost feather it is merely a dark patch on the 

 inner web; bill greyish; legs pale greyish; iris brown. Total length about 5g inches, culmen 048, 

 wing 3 - 5, tail 2 - 2, tarsus 0'85, hind toe with claw - 42, hind claw 0'23. 



Adult Male (Algeria). Closely resembles the female. 



This small Desert-Lark, readily distinguishable from A. deserti, not only by its small size, but by 

 the distinct band at the end of the tail, inhabits Northern Africa and the Cape-Verd Islands, and 

 has once occurred at Malta. 



In 1869 or 1870 Mr. C. A. Wright told me to get from a friend of his some few skins he 

 had left with him, and which, having been left out, had been so torn by a cat as to be probably 

 useless. On obtaining and examining them I found them very much torn, but still all there. 

 Not caring very much for them in their dilapidated state, I put them carefully aside, and 

 forgot about them until quite lately, when, turning out some old cases, I discovered the box 

 containing these remnants, and set to work to see if they could not be turned to some use. 

 Amongst them I was delighted to find a specimen of Ammomanes cinctura, very much torn, but 



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