McCOWN'S LONGSPUR 1579 



adds, "and one most generally selected by this longspur." In Colo- 

 rado Bailey and Niedraeh (1938) found them frequently "beautifully 

 placed near prairie asters, phlox, or flowering cactus." 



Where the advance of the plow has turned the short buffalo grass 

 and blue-joint and sage into wheat and legumes, McCown's longspur 

 clings somewhat precariously to the transitional areas or edges. 

 DuBois (1935) found a nest "in a narrow strip of sod between two 

 wheat fields, at the extreme edge of the grass, against the bare dirt 

 turned over by the plow; another was found in a strip between a wheat 

 field and new breaking, while another, though in the prairie grass, was 

 near the edge of the wheat field. Even more notable was a nest on a 

 narrow dead furrow of prairie sod, missed by the breaking plows, in 

 the middle of a field of winter wheat." On the basis of such observa- 

 tions in Montana DuBois (1935) concludes, "no nests were found on 

 cultivated ground." However, C. G. Harrold (1933), reporting his 

 experiences in the Lake Johnston region south of Moose Jaw, Sas- 

 katchewan, during April and May, 1922, writes that the bird is 

 "found chiefly in stubble fields on high ridges." 



Roberts (1932) says that in the last reports of the species in western 

 Minnesota McCown's nested "only in the high parts of wheat fields." 

 He quotes a letter from A. D. Brown who writes that after 1899 "only 

 a few were seen, even when quite numerous, as it hid most of the 

 time in the growing grain." Margaret Belcher (1961), reviewing the 

 opinions held by a number of writers that McCown's prefers "the 

 drier and more sparse prairie vegetation," notes, "It is interesting 

 that McCown's longspurs in the Regina area nest regularly in the 

 cultivated fields." And in a letter (1964) she calls my attention to 

 the report of George Fairfield on the breeding bird census conducted 

 "in a 28-acre field of uncultivated prairie grassland at Moose Jaw." 

 G. Fairfield (1963), in commenting on "the McCown's preferred 

 nesting habitat," says that no horned larks "or McCown's were seen 

 on the census plot, but a few of both species had territories on the 

 plowed (summer-fallow) fields close by." 



Mickey (1943) found that "The majority of the nests were con- 

 structed entirely of grasses, the body consisting of coarse stems and 

 blades, and the inner lining of finer grasses." As exceptions, however, 

 occasional nests contained bits of lichen, "shredded bark of horse- 

 brush and rabbitbrush", down feathers and tag-ends of wool, with 

 one nest "lined entirely with wool." Comments Mickey: "Very 

 likely the nests constructed entirely of grass represented the primitive 

 type of material used for nests before sheep, horses, and cattle were 

 introduced into this region. However, when such materials as wool 

 and hair became available, the birds made use of them." She 

 notes too that the birds collected "bits of wool which clung to the 



