ALAUDA FERRUGINEA.
brown, passing towards the base of lower mandible into dusky yellow. Eyes
dark-brown ; feet and claws light yellowish-brown.
F o rm , &cfeTypical. Bill strong, conical, and pointed, culmen slightly
curved, and the nostrils are concealed by wiry recumbent feathers. Wings
long, slightly rounded, and when folded reach to the commencement of the
second half of the tail; the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth quill-feathers, nearly
equal, and longest, the second rather shorter, and the first is not quite half
the length of the second; tertiaries nearly as long as the primaries. Tail
square at the point, or but very slightly forked. Tarsi robust, and scutellated
both before and behind; toes strong and short, the claws of the hinder rather
longer than those of the anterior toes, and but very slightly curved.
DIMENSIONS.
[aches. Lines. Inches. Lines.
Length from the point of the bill to Length of the outer toe .......... ....... 0 4s
the tip of the tail.................... 7 -5 of the middle toe ....... 0 5 |
Length of the bill from the gape....... 10 of the inner toe.............. ....... 0 3
of the wings when folded ... 4 1 of the hinder toe . 1 ..... ....... 0 3
of the tail............................ 3 2 of the hinder claw ...... ........ 0 : s i
of the tarsus ......................... 1 21
In the female the ground colours are not quite so bright as in the male,
and the brown streaks on the breast are less distinct.
The extensive arid plains immediately to the southward of the Orange River, commonly
called the Bushman Flats, form the favourite habitat of this Lark. It is a wild bird, manifesting
considerable suspicion at the appearance of man, and unless in the mornings, rarely
permits him to approach so near as to enable him to shoot it. It soars very frequently, particularly
in the early part of the day, and about sun-rise whistles delightfully; being, while so
occupied, generally perched upon the summit of the highest bush which exists iri the locality.
Besides this species^ fifteen others inhabit the south o f Africa. Le Vaillant has figured
seven of these, and two, more recently discovered, have lately been represented in Guerin’s “ Magazine
de Zoologie.” Those yet unfigufed we shall publish in the course of these illustrations.