Saskatchewan Horned Lark 281 



water. It is one of the most terrestrial of the smaller 

 birds, roosting generally on the bare earth and building 

 on the ground, and is rarely, if ever, seen perching in 

 trees and bushes. In the winter it is generally in small 

 parties of a dozen to twenty birds, and is fond of squatting 

 on roads or trails. During very severe snow storms 

 as in January and February, 1903, and February, 1899, 

 they were driven into the towns by thousands, being 

 unable to find their accustomed food outside, and many 

 were doubtless saved from starvation by being fed by 

 kind-hearted people (see Plate 10). 



The food of the Horned Lark has been shown by 

 McAttie to consist almost entirely of vegetable matter — 

 seeds of grass and weeds, and perhaps some grain — 

 during the winter, while during the summer about twenty 

 per cent, of animal matter, chiefly small insects, is added. 



This bird is an early breeder, commencing to nest 

 in April, and continuing until August, so that two or 

 three broods are raised every year. The nest is placed 

 on the bare ground, often in the open, without much 

 protection, and is merely a little cup of grass placed in a 

 slight depression ; the eggs, three or four in number, are 

 drab-coloured, profusely blotched with pale brown or 

 even uniformly pale grey ; they measure about "86 x "62. 



Saskatchewan Horned Lark. Otocoris alpestris enthymia. 



Oberholser 02, p. 817. 



Description." — Closely resembling 0. a. leucolcema, but the upper-parts 

 slightly paler and greyer, the superciliary stripe white and the throat 

 paler yellow. Measurements identical. 



Distribution. — Breeding on the plains of south-central British America, 

 including Saskatchewan and Assinaboia ; in winter south to Kansas, 

 Colorado, and perhaps Utah to Arizona. 



This form appears to be very doubtfully separable from 0. a. leucolcema. 

 Mr. Oberholser records one winter example from Loveland. If separ- 

 able it probably winters throughout the plains portion of the State. 



