228 



North American Birds Eggs. 



474j. Sonoran Horned Lark. O. (t. jxillida. 



Range.— Gulf coast of northern Lower California. 



The upperparts of this variety are very pale pinkish brown. 



474k. Hoyt Horned Lark. (). <i. Iidijti. 



Ranire.— Interior of British America, west of Hudson Bay and east of Alaska, 

 south in winter in the interior of the United States to Kansas. 



Much larger than the last: equal in size and similar to arrtirola but with the 

 throat yellowish and the upperparts darker and brighter. 



474L Montezuma Horned Lark. 0. a. occidentalis. 



fjj^iicre.— Western New Mexico and eastern Arizona, south in winter to northern 

 Mexico. 



This variety has the upperparts pale brownish and not streaked; throat and 

 forehead yellowish. 



474m. Island Horned Lark. 0. a. insiilaris. 



Range. — Santa IJarliara Islands, California. 



Similar to strigata but tlarker. With the exception of the three large varieties 

 of Horned Larks found north of our borders, neither the eggs nor, in most cases, 

 the birds can be identified without the precise location where they were taken. 



CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC. Family CORVID/E. 



47 5. American Magpie. Pica pica hudsonia. 



j^ange. — Western North America from the Great Plains t<j the Pacific and 

 from Alaska to Arizona and New Mexico. 



.^.->:- _ These large handsome birds have the entire head, 



"'' ' ' neck and breast velvety black, abruptly defined 



against the white underparts. The back, wings and 



tail are greenish or bluish black, and the scapulars, 



white: length of birtl 'JO inches. They are well known 



throughout the west, where their bold anil thievish 



habits always excite comment. They nest in bushes 



■•- -■ ,- >, and trees at low elevations from the ground, making 



rrravi^Twhirp I '^ very large nest of sticks, with an opening on the 



iiTrayisn^nite.j ^.^^^^ ^^^j ^j^^ interior is made of weeds and mud, 



lined with fine grasses; these nests often reach a diameter of three feet and are 

 made of quite large sticks During April or May, they lay from four to eight 

 grayish white eggs, plentifully spotted with brown and drab. Size 1.25 x .90. 



476. Yellow-billed Magpie. Pica nuttalli. 



Range.— Middle parts of California, west of the 

 Sierra Nevadas. 



This species is slightly smaller than the last and 

 has a yellow bill and lores, otherwise being precise- 

 ly like the more common species. Their habits do 

 not differ from those of the other, the nests are the 

 same and the eggs are indistinguishable. Size 

 1.25 X .88. 



Grayish white.] 



