LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 590.5 FI V.44 cop. 3 NArURAL HISTORY. SIJRVFY D D J """"v» nmwj 511^ MAY 20,968 FIELDIANA • ZOOLO<5¥M»'»">""-~ Published by CHICAGO NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Volume 44 September 21, 1962 No. 12 New Birds from Barotseland Melvin a. Traylor Associate Curator, Division of Birds In 1961 I had the good fortune to be able to spend two months collecting birds in the Kalabo District of Barotseland Protectorate, Northern Rhodesia. Kalabo District is in the northwest corner of Barotseland, west of the Zambesi River, and differs from the rest of the protectorate in having extensive short-grass plains. The wood- land of the district is a rather poor Brachystegia, except in the far south along the Cuando River where Acacia is found. Support for this field work was received from the National Science Foundation (Grant No. G-13221), and I wish to express my warm- est appreciation for this generosity. I also wish to thank Messrs. R. H. N. Smithers and M. P. Stuart Irwin of the National Museums of Southern Rhodesia for permission to compare my birds in Bula- wayo with their very extensive material from southern Africa. Mirafra apiata jappi, new subspecies Type. — Chicago Natural History Museum no. 262779, an adult male from Liuwa Plain, Kalabo District, Barotseland Protectorate, Northern Rhodesia, collected October 29, 1961, by M. A. Traylor. Collector's number 225. Diagnosis. — Much darker above than any other described race, the center stripes on the dorsal feathers being blackish brown. Gen- eral tone of upper parts grayish as in damarensis, deserti and naia, but these latter are very pale, and the dark centers of the dorsal feathers hardly contrast with the pale edgings. The remaining races all have a marked reddish suffusion. Measurements of type. — Wing 90, tail 56, bill 17, tarsus 27 mm. Range. — Grassy plains in the northern part of Kalabo District, Barotseland. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 62-21662 No. 955 113 114 FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 44 Remarks. — This is the first record of Mirafra apiata from North- ern Rhodesia, the next nearest population being the race nata from the Makarikari Pan region of northeastern Bechuanaland. In Kalabo District, jappi was found on the extensive short-grass plains north of the Luanginga and North Lueti rivers, and at Sikongo, near the Angola border, it was found south of the North Lueti. On Liuwa Plain the clapper lark was quite common and was breeding in late October. In this locality it was living side by side with the flappet lark, Mirafra rufocinnamomea Iwenarum. Although generally apiata preferred the open plain and rufocinnamomea the edges of woodland, at one spot by a small pan with woods along one side they were within a few feet of each other. Based on the speci- mens collected, there seems to be a marked difference in the methods of flappeting; apiata rises about 50 or 100 feet, fiappeting as it goes, and then drops back to earth not far from where it took off; rufo- cinnamomea climbs to about 200 or 300 feet, and then flies in wide circles of at least a quarter mile in diameter, flappeting at intervals. All the larks making the short flights were apiata; they were easy to observe and collect. The larks making the long flights were much more difficult to collect since they were frequently out of sight, but the one that by chance landed near enough to shoot was rufocin- namomea. It gives me great pleasure to name this race for Mr. Richard Japp, Witwaterstrand Native Labor Association representative at Kalabo. Not only did he help me plan my trip so that I was able to collect in all the different vegetation zones of the district, but he and his wife Hazel graciously opened their home to me for the duration of my stay. Measurements of Specimens Collected {In millimeters) Males (9) Females (3) Wing 86-91 (88.7) 78, 79, 80 Tail 54-59(56.8) 49,49,50 Bill 16.5-19(17.5) 14.5,16,16.5 Tarsus 26-29 (27.3) 25, 26, 26 Calandrella conirostris makawai, new subspecies T^pe.— Chicago Natural History Museum no. 262780, an adult male from Liuwa Plain, Kalabo District, Barotseland Protectorate, Northern Rhodesia, collected October 29, 1961, by M. A. Traylor. Collector's number 211. Diagnosis.— Much darker, both above and below, than crypta and barlowi from Bechuanaland. On the upper surface harlowi is reddish TRAYLOR: NEW BIRDS FROM BAROTSELAND 115 fawn with the dark center stripes of the feathers reduced and the edgings correspondingly broad; crypta is pale grayish brown above, the center stripes brown rather than blackish and the pale edgings gray, lacking any warmth. In makawai the center stripes of the dorsal feathers are broad and blackish brown and the edgings pinkish buff. On the under parts makawai is dark pinkish buff, much darker than either of the others, and with well-marked pectoral spotting. I have not seen damarensis, but it is stated to be as pale as crypta but more brownish, and with much reduced pectoral spotting. Makawai shows a surprisingly close resemblance to nominate coni- rostris from Cape Province. On the upper parts they are alike, but conirostris has more extensive pectoral spotting with some streaks on the flanks, and appears to have a larger bill. Two conirostris males have bills 12 and 12.5, while six makawai measure 10-11.5 (10.7). Measurements of type. — Wing 75, tail 44, bill 10, tarsus 20 mm. Range. — Apparently confined to Liuwa Plain, Kalabo District, Barotseland. Remarks. — This is the first time that the species conirostris has been taken in Northern Rhodesia, the nearest population being crypta from the northern part of the Makarikari Pan in Bechuana- land. It was locally common on the eastern part of Liuwa Plain, but was not found elsewhere. During late October the adults were just completing their post-nuptial molt, the contour feathers being very fresh and the outermost primaries and rectrices still growing in, and the single juvenal had just begun its post-juvenal molt. It is interesting that in both Mirafra apiata and Calandrella coni- rostris the isolated populations in Kalabo District should be much darker than races to the south and southwest. This does not appear to be a direct response to soil color since Liuwa Plain is pale Kalahari sand. However, the rainfall in Kalabo is 30+ inches, considerably higher than in Bechuanaland and Damaraland, and the darker color may be a response to the increased humidity. A third species of lark, Eremopterix verticalis, was also found for the first time in North- ern Rhodesia in the Kalabo District. However, this species has undergone no variation and is indistinguishable from the palest race to the south, khama from the Makarikari Pan. It gives me great pleasure to name this race for Jali Makawa, C. W. Benson's collector from the Game and Fisheries Department of Northern Rhodesia. As Benson has said, Jali is the cleverest hunter in Africa, and he succeeded in collecting eight makawai while I was lucky to get one.