144 NORTH AMEIUCAN BIRDS. 



Var. ehrysolwma. / i> 



Alauda chrysolccma, Waol. Isis, 1S31, 350. — Honap. P. Z. S. 1837, 111. Olocorys ch. 

 FiNsCH, Abh. Nat. 1870, 341. Alauda minor, Gikaud, 16 Sp. Tex. B. 1841. Alauda 

 nifa, Ai'D. Birds Am. VII, 1843, 353, pi. ccccxcvii. Otocoris r., Heekm. X. s, 45. 

 ? Olocorys pcrcgrina, ScL. P. Z. S. 1855, 110, pi. cii. Ercmophila p., ScL. Cat. Am. B. 

 1860, 127. 



Cn.ii!. AchdI. Frontal crescent less than half a.s wide a,s the black. Throat and foi'e- 

 head deep straw-yellow ; pinkish tints above deep cinnamon. 



a. Specimens from California and Mexico, streaks on hack, etc., very obsolete; darker 

 central stripe to middle tail-feathers scarcely observable ; white beneath. 

 Measurements. (3,507, $, Tonila, Mexico,) wing, 3 80; tail, 2.75; bill, .53 — .15 — .42. 

 (9J115, ^, Mexico,) " 4.10; " 2.90; " .63 — .13 — .50. 



" (3,939, ^, California,) " 3.85; '^ 2.75; " .56— .14 — .45. 



(58,.582, ^,Gt. Salt Lake City,)" 4.10; " 2.80; " .02 — .16 — .32. 

 h. Specimens from coast of Oregon and Washington Territory. Streaks on back, etc., 

 very conspiouons; dark central stripe of tail-feathers distinct; yellow beneath. 

 Measurements. (8,734 $, Fort Steilacoom,) wing, 3.75 ; tail, 2.00 ; bill, .61 — .15 — .40. 

 Hab. Middle America, from the desert regions of the southern Middle Province of 

 North America, south to Bogota. 



Habits. Assuming the Shore Lark of the Labrador coast and the rufous 

 Lark of the Western prairies to be one and tlie same species, but slightly 

 modified by diflerences of locality, climate, or food, we have for this species, 

 at all times, a wide range, and, during the breeding-season, a very unusual 

 peculiarity, — their abundant distribution through two widely distant and 

 essentially different regions. 



During a large portion of the year, or irom October to April, these birds 

 may be found in all parts of the United States. Dr. Woodhouse found them 

 very common throughout Te.xas, the Indian Territory, New Mexico, and Cal- 

 ifornia. Mr. Dresser states tiiat he found the western variety — whicli he 

 thinks essentially different in several respects from the eastern — in great 

 numbers, from October to the end of March, in tlie prairies around Sau 

 Antonio. Afterwards, at (Jalveston, in ^lay and June, 1864, lie noticed and 

 shot several specimens. xVlthough lie diil not succeed in finding any nests, 

 he was very sure that they were breeding there. It is common, during win- 

 ter, on the Atlantic coast, from Massachusetts to South Carolina. In Maine 

 it is comparatively rare. In Arizona, Di-. Cones speaks of tlie western form 

 as a permanent resident in all situations adapted to its wants. The same 

 w'riter, who also had an ojiportunity of observing the eastern variety in 

 Labrador, where he found it verj- abundant on all the moss-covered islands 

 around the coast, could notice nothing in their voice, flight, or general man- 

 ners, different from their usual habits in their southern migrations, except 

 that during the breeding-season they do not associate in flocks. 



Iiichardson states that this Lark arrives in the fur countries in company 

 with the Lapland Bunting, with whicli it associates, and, being a shyer bird, 

 would act as sentinel and gi\e the alarm on the approach of danger. As Mr. 



