brown, the edging of the outermost feathering of each side broadest, and of
a rusty tint. Eyebrows and under eyelids pale cream-yellow; ear coverts
dull reddish orange, tinged with reddish brown. Bill, upper mandible and
tip of lower, light reddish brown, rest of lower sienna-yellow. Legs, toes,
and claws sienna-yellow, tinted with flesh-red; claws faintly shaded with
light reddish brown.
F orm, &c.—Figure moderately robust. Head small; bill moderately long
and subconical, the culmen considerably curved towards the tip. Wings
rounded, and when folded reach to the commencement of the second half of
the tail, third, fourth, and fifth quill feathers nearly equal and longest, second
a little shorter than the third, the first rudimentary ; the tertiary quill feathers
nearly as long as the primaries, and longer than the secondaries. Tail even,
or in the slightest degree rounded. Tarsi and toes robust, the latter anteriorly
and posteriorly scutellated; claws of the front toes short, strong, and slightly
curved ; claw of the hinder toe long, rather slender, and slightly curved.
DIMENSIONS.
Inches. Lines. Inches. Lines.
Length from the point of the bill to Length of the tarsus............. .......... 1 0
the tip of the ta il......... of the outer toe......... : 31
of the b i l l....................... • . 0 of the middle toe. . . .• . . . . 0 H of the wings when folded . . 3 3
of the tail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 of the hinder toe . . . . 3
of the hinder claw . . . 1 m
The male is coloured like the female, only the tints are clearer.
This lark was procured on the arid Karroo plains north of Lafakoo, and was found in
tolerable abundance towards the tropic of Capricorn. It was generally observed in localities
abounding with small shrubs, on which it was frequently observed to perch, particularly in
the early part of the morning, when it was in the habit of practising, like its congeners, vertical
flights into the air. It whistles occasionally, especially when perched upon the underwood ;
but there is nothing in its note to attract attention.
This species, in point of size, resembles M ir a fr a Africanoid.es, but is readily distinguished
from it by its not having the quill feathers broadly edged with reddish orange.
MIRAFRA CHENIANA.—(Male.)
A ves. P late LXXXIX. F ig . 2.
M. supr^t fusca, plumis rufo-albo-marginatis; infr&. rufo-alba, gutturis imo pectoreque fusco notatis;
remigibus rubro-aurantio-marginatis; rectricibus duabus extends rufo-albis, fusco-variegatis; rostro
supr^ brunneo-rubro, subtus subflavo; pedibus subflavis cameo-tinctis.
Longitudo e rostri apice ad basin caudas 3 unc. 4 f lin.; caudse 1 unc. 114 lin.
C olour^M-Male.— The upper surface of the head intermediate between
liver and umber-brown, all the feathers edged with rufous white ; back and
sides of neck dull umber-brown, each feather edged either with rusty white
or wood-brown; interscapulars, back, and rump umber-brown, the feathers
edged and tipped with greyish white, tinted with pale reddish orange. Chin
and throat white, speckled with umber-brown ; breast and flanks pale reddish
orange, the former variegated with short umber-brown stripes ; middle of belly
and vent cream-yellow ; under tail coverts white. The lesser wing coverts,
the primary and secondary quill coverts, and the tertiary quill feathers
umber-brown, edged and tipped with a colour intermediate between orpiment
and reddish orange, the very tips of the feathers nearly pure white; primary
and secondary quill feathers intermediate between reddish and broccoli-
brown,—the outer vanes of the primaries towards the base and the whole
length of the secondary edged like the quill coverts, and all more or less
completely tipped with white ; the inner edges of inner vanes towards base
light cream-yellow. The two middle tail feathers the colour of the primary
quill feathers, narrowly edged with rusty white, the three next on each side
umber-brown, the outermost one distinctly edged with white ; the two outermost
of each side white, with more or less of the inner edges of inner vanes
umber-brown. Eyebrows sienna-yellow; ear coverts pale reddish orange,
tinted with umber-brown. The upper mandible deep brownish red, lower
mandible sienna-yellow. Legs, toes, and claws pale buff orange, tinged with
flesh-red.