HOYT'S HORNED LARK 323 



with a series of seven breeding birds from the Labrador coast (sup- 

 posedly alpestrls) they do not appear to be in any way greatly 

 dissimilar from them." Referring to Southampton Island, he says : 



Hoyt's Horned Lark is a common summer resident in the region of South Bay. 

 It is not so common fartlier west, at Capes Low and Kendall, and I do not 

 know whether it occurs at all in the extreme eastern, higher part, where its 

 place may be altogether taken by alpestris. Unfortunately no summer collect- 

 ing was carried on about East Bay and Seahorse Point, so I do not know which 

 race breeds there. Alpestris, apparently, is the only form which occurs there 

 as a migrant. 



Hoyt's Horned Lark arrives in the spring a little later than the Snow 

 Bunting and Lapland Longspur, and departs somewhat earlier and more defi- 

 nitely in the fall. It has never, to the best of my knowledge, been recorded 

 in winter. 



Frank L. Farley tells me that both alpestris and hoyti are common 

 summer residents at Churchill, Manitoba. 



Spring. — Referring to the spring passage of the pallid and Hoyt's 

 horned larks at Aweme, Manitoba, Stuart and Norman Criddle (1917) 

 write: 



They usually arrive within a few days of each other and with the Lapland 

 Longspurs in large flocks about April 6. Soon the ploughed fields are swarming 

 with them and their value as destroyers of noxious weed seeds must be con- 

 siderable. * * * 



It is an interesting sight to see these birds, in company with thousands of 

 Longspurs, circling for miles around some large hawk, though their object in 

 doing so is a mystery and seems to be almost ignored by the hawk. Their music, 

 as they fiy around in millions, fills the air, producing an effect which is long re- 

 membered. Both Horned Larks and Lapland Longspurs may also be seen to rise 

 some 30 feet, uttering as they drop a short song. It is evident, however, that this 

 is only a prelude to what is to come when the birds reach their true homes. 



Taverner and Sutton (1934) found these larks very numerous when 

 they arrived at Churchill, Manitoba, on May 28. "They were every- 

 where, feeding confidingly vni\\ Snow Buntings even about the door- 

 steps of the offices and workshops of the townsite. They sang more 

 persistently and finely than we had ever heard them before. The male 

 of a pair nesting close to our Churchill camp habitually perched on 

 the ridge-pole of the tent and sang continuously for many minutes, 

 deserting his post only for momentary feedings or when he flew to the 

 adjoining tennis-court, where he continued to sing. About June 10 

 the species became less noticeable about the door-yards, but continued 

 abundant all over the tundra." Both races, alpestris and hoyti., were 

 present on their arrival, but "most of the yellow-faced birds left with 

 the transients." 



Nesting. — Dr. Sutton (1932) writes: "The female alone builds the 

 nest, and performs all the duties of incubation. While the male occa- 

 sionally brings her food, there are regular periods of the day when she 



