CALIFORNIA HORNED LARK 365 



J. R. Pemberton. These rolling plains lie south of Maricopa and 

 east of the Wlieeler Ridge; they are covered with a scanty growth 

 of short grass and are much grazed over in places by sheep, of 

 which we saw some large flocks. The larks were abundant here and 

 were mostly running about in pairs. We saw a female running 

 about actively and feeding in a hurried, nervous manner. Mr. 

 Pemberton said that she had just come off her nest to feed and would 

 return to it within 10 minutes. We stopped to watch her, and in 

 about 5 minutes we saw her settle down on some higher ground where 

 there were a number of stones scattered about. We walked up and 

 flushed her off her nest in a little hollow; it was a typical horned 

 lark's nest, made of coarse grasses and weed stems, mixed and lined 

 with finer grass and a few bits of soft, cottony material; it held 

 three well-incubated eggs. The other nest was found by flushing 

 the bird, as we drove within 5 feet of it ; it was sunk into the gi'ound 

 between two small pieces of dry cow manure ; it also held three eggs. 



Mr. Tyler (1913) says: "Nests of this species are built most often 

 in summer-fallow fields, but sometimes in very young vineyards, hay 

 fields from which the crop has been cut, and on the uncultivated 

 plains. Sometimes they are found at the base of a clod or a small 

 accumulation of trash, but in the majority of cases that have come 

 under my observation a small weed or plant, frequently the Cali- 

 fornia poppy, is chosen, probably more for the shade it affords than 

 with any thought of concealment." 



Judged from the dates at which eggs have been found, this lark 

 must raise at least two broods in a season and perhaps sometimes 

 three. 



Eggs. — The California horned lark lays two to five eggs to a set, 

 usually three. In 35 sets recorded by Mr. Tyler (1913), there were 

 four sets of two, eight sets of four, two sets of five, and the others 

 sets of three. The eggs are similar to those of other horned larks of 

 similar size. 



The measurements of 40 eggs average 20.2 by 15.3 millimeters ; the 

 eggs showing the four extremes measure 21.5 by 16.1, 21.4 by 16.2, 

 19.2 by 13.5, and 20.0 by 13.8 millimeters. 



Fooc?.— According to W. L. McAtee (1905), "the food habits of the 

 California subspecies {Otocoris alpestris actia) were found to differ 

 so remarkably from those of the other horned larks as to merit 

 separate notice. Briefly stated, the difference consists in the high 

 percentage of vegetable — as compared to the animal — food consumed 

 by the California birds." Based on a study of 267 stomachs, collected 

 in every month but May, he says that the "vegetable food composes 

 91.44 percent of the diet of the California horned larks, while the 



