186 dupont's larx. 



tween Galerida and Certhilauda, beautifully illustrative 

 of the gentler gradations by wliicli Nature glides from 

 one type to another, is, I believe, the very rarest of 

 all the Larks of the Sahara. I found it only in the 

 far south, in the Wed Noa, at -which place it was also 

 obtained by Captain Loche a few months afterwards. 

 Neither of us ever saw move than two or three pairs. 

 The white outer tail feathers give it the appearance at 

 first sight of our common Skylark, for which indeed it 

 passed with my companion, who was the first to shoot 

 it. Captain Loche obtained a nest of four eggs, one of 

 which he kindly presented to me. As might have been 

 expected, the eggs differ much from the typical charac- 

 teristics of the Lark. They are very round, nine lines 

 and a half by eight, of a soiled white colour, with pale 

 brown blotches sparingly scattered over the surface, 

 bearing a strong resemblance to small varieties oi Lmiius 

 excuhitor, but with an ivory-polished surface." 



It is quite clear that all the doubts raised as to the 

 specific distinctness of this bird, have arisen from an 

 imperfect acquaintance either with its skins or habits. 



The adult male in Avinter plumage (INIr. Tristram's 

 specimen is marked December, 1856,) has all the upper 

 parts of the body a rich brown, of lighter and dark 

 shades, variegated with greyish on the edges of the 

 feathers; top of the head darker, with a greyish longi- 

 tudinal band across the vertex, and a similar one mottled 

 grey and black, forming a kind of collar at the nape 

 and round the neck; ear coverts clear brown, with a 

 light grey patch above the eyes, and laterally on each 

 side of the base of the upper mandibles; primaries and 

 secondaries dark brown, with light chesnut edges; two 

 upper tail feathers and upper tail coverts light chesnut 

 brown, darkest in the centre; the first lateral tail 



