200 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 



then consists of four or five introductory twits, followed by 

 a little trill, all in a very sharp tone, or it is delivered 

 after the bird has mounted, like his famous cousin, to a 

 considerable height ; it is then much longer, but still sharp 

 and unmusical and lacking the strength of the Skylark. 



The Prairie Horned Lark also occurs as a rare migrant 

 in late October and November along the sea-coast of New 

 England and New York, often in company with its relative 

 the Shore Lark. It must not be confused with the small 

 pale-colored females of the latter species, from w^hich the 

 pui^e white line over the eye will distinguish it. 



Horned Lark ; Shore Lark. Otocoris alpestrls 



7.75 



Ad. $. — Forehead and patch back of eye yellow; "horns," 

 or tufts of feathers projecting backward from the head, black ; 

 front and sides of crown, line from bill under eye along sides of 

 throat and band across upper breast black ; back of head, back, 

 and rump pinkish-brown; tail dark, outer pair of feathers edged 

 with white; throat yelloiv ; belly white, sides pinkish-brown. Ad. 

 ^. — Similar to ^, but decidedly smaller, the black much less 

 pronounced; the pink tinge often wanting; throat duller. 



The Shore Lark is a common winter visitant along the sea- 

 coast from October to April ; small flocks occasionally occur 



inland. Shore Larks feed in 

 flocks along the flats left bare 

 by the tide, and on the fields 

 and hillsides, within sound of 

 the surf. 



Their notes are shrill, re- 

 sembling the syllables tsee, 

 tsee-de-7'ee ; it is hard to distin- 

 guish them from those of the 

 Titlark, which may be found 

 in the same localities in fall and 



Fig. 61 



