596 HISTORY OF THE 



Anthus spragueii (Aud.). 



SPRAGUE'S PIPIT. 

 PLATE XXXIII. 



Migratory; rather rare in the eastern part of the State; quite 

 common in the middle and western portions. I have a pair tn 

 "The Goss Ornithological Collection," which I shot October 

 20th, 1879, out of a small flock on the high prairie in Anderson 

 county, and I have occasionally seen the birds at Neosho Falls, 

 in both the spring and fall of the year, usually in small flocks, 

 in company with the Horned Larks. Arrive early in April, and 

 often remain in the western part of the State as late as the 20th 

 of May, and in their northward flights occasionally sing as early 

 as the 15th of the month. They begin to return early in Octo- 

 ber, a few remaining late into November. Doctor Watson thinks 

 it an occasional summer resident. 



B. 166. E. 73. C. 90. G. 31, 305. U. 700. 



Habitat. Interior plains of North America; east to western 



Manitoba (Sefon), and eastern Kansas; breeding from central 



Dakota, Minnesota (?), northward to the Saskatchewan district; 



south in winter to southern Mexico. 



Sp. Chae. Adult, in summer: Above, broadly streaked with pale grayish buff 

 aud dusky; wiugs dusky, with pale grayisli-buffy edgings; two outer tail feath- 

 ers chiefly white (the outermost sometimes eutirely white); beneath, dull buffy 

 white, more buffy across chest, where narrowly streaked with dusky; legs and 

 feet very light colored. Winter plumage: Much more decidedly buffy, both above 

 and below, with dark streaks on chest broader and less sharply defined. Young: 

 Above, brownish buff, broadly streaked with black, the feathers of back and 

 scapulars narrowly margined terminally with buffy or whitish; chin, throat and 

 sides of neck whitish, the last, and also lower throat, streaked with dusky; rest 

 of lower parts light buff, growing gradually paler posteriorly, the chest and sides 

 of breast streaked with black. {Ridgway.) 



Iris dark brown; bill brown, with basal two-thirds of under 

 straw color; legs, feet and claws flesh color. 



These bleached birds of the plains are much more common 

 throughout their range (except upon their breeding grounds) than 

 they are generally reported to be. They usually associate to- 



