BIFASOIATED LARK. 183 



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by Mr. Tristram. That species do vary, no naturalist 

 denies. That they do this beyond the peculiarities by 

 which the species is recognised, 7io o?ie has ever yetjiToved. 

 "Naturam expelles furca, tamcn usque recurret." 



The adult male and female of the Bifasciatcd Lark 

 do not differ in their plumage. The upper parts arc 

 of a light chesnut, or isabelle colour, tending more to 

 grey on the top of the head and nape, and the upper 

 tail feathers being darker chesnut, with lighter borders. 

 The auriculars are mixed chesnut and black, and there 

 is a slight white superciliary ridge. Throat white; 

 neck, abdomen, and imder tail coverts, light creamy 

 chesnut, with a row of dark spots where the white of 

 the throat joins the crop. The primaries dark brown, 

 having a white band commencing slightly on the second. 

 The secondaries are white, with the dark brown of 

 the primaries extended across in the form of a band, 

 occupying their middle third. Tail same colour as pri- 

 maries, except the two upper and two or three lateral 

 ones, which are as stated in the specific diagnosis. 

 Beak and feet yellowish; iris brown. 



The young, according to Degland, have the head and 

 neck greyish, with each plume marked with brown the 

 length of the shaft; auricular region almost entirely 

 white; crop more marked Avitli black spots, and the 

 colours of the plumage more strongly marked above 

 and below. 



My figures of the bird and its cg^ are from specimens 

 kindly sent me by Mr. Tristram. The bird, which is 

 a female, was shot at Wednca, December 10th., 1856. 

 It is also figured by Temminck et Lang. pi. col. 393. 

 Gould, pi. 168; Cretschm, voy. de Riippell, pi. 5. 



2 c 



