Handlist of the birds of Egypt / by M.J. Nicoll.

  • Michael John Nicoll
Date:
1919
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Handlist of the birds of Egypt / by M.J. Nicoll. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    55/182 page 37
    170. Wood Lark. Lullula arborea (Linnaeus). Alauda arborea. Shelley, p. 139. An autumn visitor to Lower Egypt. Not common. Smaller than the skylark, and darker brown above. A whitish band through each eye, which practically meets at back of head ; tail shorter and wings more rounded than those of the skylark. 171. Calandra Lark. Melctnocoryyha calandra calandra (Linnaeus). Melanocoryyha calandra. Shelley, p. 143. Common in western portion of Egypt, near Daba'a, in autumn, and a few pass eastwards to Giza. Length about 7J inches. Above brown striped with black ; sides of neck marked with black patches ; bill large. Altogether a stouter bird than the skylark. 172. Clot Bey’s Lark. RJiam^liocorys dot-bey (Bonaparte). Rhamyhocoris clot-bey. Shelley, p. 144. The type of this species was procured in Egypt, and, as it is not uncommon west of the Egyptian frontier, it probably occurs in the extreme north-west of Egypt, where no collecting has been done for many years. Length about 7 inches. Reddish sandy brown above; below white with brown streaks ; sides of head and neck black ; bill very large and stout. 173. Desert Horned Lark. Otocorys bilopha (Temminck). Not mentioned by Shelley. Resident and abundant in and near the Wadi Natrun. In winter it congregates in flocks, and is sometimes found near Abu Ruweish, in Giza Province. It has also occurred on the east side of the Nile, near Heliopolis. Length about 5| inches. Reddish sand colour on back ; white belly ; a black band on fore neck and on forehead and two black horn-like tufts on forehead ; wing and tail feathers black. Young birds in first plumage lack the black markings on breast and head and are more sandy coloured above. 174. Desert Lark. Amm,omanes deserti deserti (Lichtenstein). Ammomanes fraterculus. Shelley, p. 137. Common on the desert from Luxor southwards. Sometimes met with near Cairo. Resident. Length about 6 inches. Sandy grey above and dull whitish buff below ; faintly streaked on upper breast with brown.
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3