dupoA't's lark. 185 



This bird has been considered by many ornitliolog'ists 

 as a variety of tlie Skylark, and Keyserling and Ela- 

 sius bave even described it as a monstrosity. Homeyer, 

 in Cabanis, Journal, Heft. 3, 1859, p. 204, speaks of it 

 donbtfuily as a species, and gives in the same article 

 some excellent advice about the too prevalent habit of 

 species-making. In "Naumannia," part 3, 1858, Pro- 

 fessor Blasius, however, after giving the various opinions 

 which have been held about this species by authors, 

 states that he has at length received a specimen from 

 Algeria, which he admits is that described by Temminck, 

 and must be considered as distinct. 



With the birds before me, I cannot help expressing 

 surprise that A. Dupontii should ever have been con- 

 founded either with the bird last described, or with the 

 Skylark. It is perfectly distinct from each, as the 

 specific characters above will shew, and I have much 

 pleasure in being able to add something to its natural 

 history, not only by giving a figure of the bird shot 

 by Mr. Tristram, but also a drawing of the Q^§, which 

 I believe has never before been figured, and which rare 

 and precious specimen that gentleman was kind enough 

 to trust to me for illustration. 



Dupont's Lark is found in Syria, some parts of Bar- 

 bary, and in the south of Spain. Its occurrence in the 

 centre of Europe is, however, only accidental. Degland 

 says it is frec[uently found exposed for sale in the 

 markets of Marseilles. The real home of this interestinsr 



o 



species is, however, among the sandy deserts of Northern 

 Africa, where its habits have been observed by the Rev. 

 H. B. Tristram and Captain Loche, From the descrip- 

 tion of the former in the "Ibis," vol. i., p. 427, I quote 

 the following: — 



"This elegant and delicately-marked bird, a link be- 



