542 Field Museum of Natural History — Zoology, Vol. IX. 



It is a common resident throughout the year in Illinois and Wis- 

 consin, and is one of the few birds which may be observed in flocks 

 on the open fields and prairies during the winter. It breeds in Illinois 

 from March to May, more commonly in April, although the late 

 Captain Charles Bendire states that it has been found breeding near 

 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as early as February 23. The nest is composed 

 of grass placed on the ground. The eggs are 3 to 5, pale olive or olive 

 white, speckled and finely marked with pale olive brown, rarely with 

 cinnamon brown. They measure about .85 x .60 inches. 



216b. Otocoris alpestris hoyti Bishop. 

 Hoyt's Horned Lark. 



Distr.: British America, from Hudson Bay to Mackenzie River 

 and from Athabaska Lake to the Arctic coast; south in winter to 

 Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. 



This form differs from the Prairie Horned Lark, 0. a. praticola, 

 in being larger and the vinaceous markings darker. The line over 

 the eye (superciliary stripe) is whitish as in praticola, not yellow as 

 in alpestris. Wing (males), 4.25 to 4.50 inches. The females are 

 smaller and are often difficult to distinguish from the prairie form. 



Hoyt's Horned Lark has not been taken in Illinois, but may occur 

 as a straggler in winter, as it has been recorded from Michigan, Wis- 

 consin, and Iowa. 



Kumlien and Hollister state (Birds of Wisconsin, 1903, p. 84): 

 "Have carefully gone over our series from many parts of the state. 

 We find, as a consequence, no less than three perfectly typical 

 specimens of 0. a. hoyti, all procured in winter in Rock County, 

 from large flocks of alpestris. The birds are doubtless of rare but 

 regular occurrence as late fall stragglers in many open prairie sections 

 of the state." 



Family CORVIDi^. Crows, Jays, Magpies. 



The Corvidas are a large family numbering about 200 species dis- 

 tributed throughout the world. In North America they are repre- 

 sented by two subfamilies: Garrulince, containing the Magpies and 

 Jays, and the Corvince, or Crows and Ravens. The latter, although 

 constantly persecuted by man, seem to be abundantly able to take 

 care of themselves, as their numbers apparently do not materially 

 decrease. 



