198 BIRDS OF DAMABA LAND. 



[I have ascertained the identity of Strickland^s ^ZaM<^a spleniata 

 with the present species by examination of the type specimen 

 of the former at the Museum of Zoology, Cambridge. — Ed.J 



241. Megalophonus AnderSSOni, Tristr. Andersson's Lark. 



Megalophonus Anderssoni, Tristram, in Ibis, 1869, p. 434. 

 Calcmdrella ^nrferssom, Blanford's Geol. & Zool. of Abyssinia, p. 389. 

 Megalophonus Anderssoni, Tristram, in Ibis, 1870, p. 444. 

 Almula Anderssoni, Fiusch, in Trans. Zool. See. vol. vii. p. 237. 



[This small Lark has been recently described by Mr. Tristram 

 in the ' Ibis ' for 1869, from a single female specimen contained 

 in Mr. Andersson^s last collection and labelled as having been 

 obtained at Objimbinque on March 13th, 1865. Mr. Andersson 

 does not allude to this species in his MS. notes; but Mr. Blanford, 

 who met with it in Abyssinia, states {loc. cit.) that he found it 

 " abundant on stony ground near Senafe, keeping much in large 

 communities, and highly social, precisely like Calendrella hrachy- 

 dactyla." This species, which has not been figured, is very nearly 

 allied to M. cinerea, but is decidedly smaller. Mr. Tristram's 

 notice of it in the ' Ibis ' for 1869 includes a description of its 

 nest and eggs, which accompanied the type specimen. — Ed.J 



242. Megalophonus africanoides (Smith). Objimbinqvie Lark. 



Mirafra africanoides, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 88. fig. 2. 

 Megahphomis africanoides, Layard's Cat. No. 480. 

 Alauda africanoides, Sharpe's Cat. No. 681. 



This bird is very frequent in the neighbourhood of 

 Objimbinque, and is not uncommon in various other 

 parts of Damara and Great Namaqua Land. It is easily 

 distinguished from most of the other Larks by its reddish 

 appearance. It is found in pairs, and is comparatively 

 tame, flying but a short distance when disturbed, and 

 settling on the ground or on a bush or tree ; it has a 

 kind of chirping song. 



