634 Col. R. Meinertzhagen on Birds from [Ibis, 
If all the Ammomanes plicenicura from northern Africa are 
not the same race, then the Algerian bird must be called 
A. p. regulus Bp. (1857 : Algerian Sahara), the Cairo and 
Solium birds remain A. p. arenicolor , and the Siwa birds 
must have a new name. 
How the fact that spring and autumn birds near Cairo 
show a constancy of the dark coloration, rather points to 
there being more than one race in northern Africa, but in the 
absence of autumn specimens from Algeria, I refrain from 
coming to any definite conclusion. I also recommend to my 
friend Nicoll a complete Ammomanian survey of the Nile 
from Khartoum to Cairo, once in autumn and once in spring, 
also a trip to the Sinai hills, where Zedlitz’s A. d. JcatJiarin'ce 
is said to occur. 
GALER1DA CRISTATA. 
The following are the results of my investigations into 
the Crested Larks of Syria, Palestine, Egypt, the Red Sea, 
Abyssinia, and Somaliland. In all, 383 birds were examined. 
G-alerida cristata nigricans Brehm. 
43 examined from Helouan (April), Giza (Dec.), Delta 
Barrage (April and May), Inchas (Jan. and March), north¬ 
ern edge of the Delta (Jan. to April), central Delta (Feb. 
to May), Kantara on the Suez Canal (Dec.). 
No freshly-moulted autumn birds examined. 
This is the darkest race of the Crested Larks. Breast 
densely spotted with rich black spots which are never very 
clear-cut. Under parts invariably tinged with yellowish 
buff, distinctly more so than in maculata (= altirostris of 
Hartert’s Yog. pal. Fauna). Upper parts very dark, the 
centres of the feathers being nearly coal-black. Crown 
much darker than in any other race. Outer tail-feathers 
with black extending over the whole of the inner web and 
over nearly half the outer web. Remainder of feather a rich 
buff. (I would mention here that among Crested Larks the 
colour on the outer tail-feather is a very unreliable charac¬ 
teristic.) Average wing for thirty-four males 101*9 mm. 
(max. 106, min. 99), and for nine females 96*1 mm. (max. 
