THE ALASKA HORNED LARK. 213 



ward and produced into a feather-tuft or "horn," black; a broad bar from nostril 

 to eye thence curving downward and expanding to involve hinder portion of 

 cheeks and auriculars anteriorly, black ; a crescentic patch across upper chest 

 black; forehead and superciliaries pale yellow (primrose yellow) paling poste- 

 riorly ; auriculars yellow continuous with and deepening into straw yellow of 

 chin, throat and malar region; remaining underparts white, the sides and flanks 

 dull vinacecjus streaked with dusky ; upperparts in general warm grayish brown, 

 the middle of crown, occiput, nape, lesser wing-coverts and upper tail-coverts 

 vinaceous-cinnamon ; back, scapulars and rump grayish brown, each feather edged 

 with paler and having dusky center ; wings liair-brown with paler edgings, the 

 outermost ])riniary edged with white; tail chiefly black, the middle pair of 

 feathers dusky, edged with whitish, the two lateral pairs edged with wdiite. 

 Bill black lightening below ( basally ) ; legs and feet black ; iris dark brown. 

 Adult female in sumincr: Like male but duller and paler, the black areas 

 reduced in extent and obscured by brownish or buffy tips ; yellow of superciliary 

 stripe, etc., duller and paler ; upperparts more noticeably streaked and with less 

 of vinaceous tint on hind neck and upper tail-coverts. Both sexes in fall and 

 zvinter are somewhat more heavily and more uniformly colored save on black 

 areas which are overcast by buffy or brownish tips ; also forebreast dusky or 

 obscurely spotted. Young birds are heavil)- speckled above with yellowish white 

 on brownish and dusky ground. Length of adult male: 7.00-7.50 (177-190); 

 wing 4.37 ( III) ; tail 2.83 (yz) ; bill .48 (12.2) ; tarsus .94 (24). Adult female: 

 6.75-7.25 (171-184); wing 4.09 (104); tail 2.48 (63); bill .43 (ii.i); tarsus 

 .91 (23.2).] 



Description. — Adults: Similar to O. alpcstris but upperparts paler and 

 graver, less warmed by vinaceous; no yellow (or merest tinge on head and 

 throat) — white instead; size about the same. 



Recognition Marks. — Sparrow size ; black crescent on upper chest ; black 

 cheek and crown patches; feather-tufts or "horns" directed backward. To be 

 distinguished from 0. a. nievrilli and 0. a. strigata by larger size and absence 

 of yellow-. 



Nesting. — Not certainly known to breed in Washington but possibly does so 

 above timber-line. Nest: a cup-shaped depression in the surface of the ground, 

 plentifully lined with fine grasses, moss, grouse feathers, etc. Eggs: 3 or 4, 

 greenish- or grayish-white, profusely and minutely dotted with olive-buff, 

 greenish-brown and lavender. Av. size .95 x .66 (27x16.7). 



General Range. — "Breeding in Alaska (except Pacific coast district) and 

 valley of the L'pper Yukon River, Northwest Territory ; migrating southward 

 to Oregon, Utah, Montana, etc." (Ridgway). 



Range in Washington. — Common winter resident and migrant east of the 

 Cascades. Birds breeding on the higher mountains are doubtfully referable 

 to this form. 



Authorities. — O. a. Icncolccina (Coues), Dawson, Auk, XIV. 1897, ^7^- 

 D-'. J. 



Specimens. — Prov. 



THE Horned Lark bears the reputation of being the most plastic of 

 American species — the Song Sparrow {Melospiza inclodia) being a close sec- 



