332 BULLETIN 17 9, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



from US, then suddenly disappearing from our view against the dark 

 background as tliey turn their backs toward us, and finally vanishing 

 entirely as they all alight on the ground not far from where they 

 started. Their flight is light and easy, with a somewhat undulating 

 motion; and the flocks are rather loose and irregular, yet they are 

 apparently all in touch with each other and guided by a common 

 impulse. As they alight on the ground they scatter out and walk 

 about rapidly on their short legs, taking rather long steps, as shown 

 by the marks of the long hind claw in the soft mud or sand. Horned 

 larks are essentially ground birds; I have never seen one alight in 

 a tree, and, so far as I know, no one else has. The top of a rock, 

 stone wall, or low stump, not over 3 or 4 feet above ground, is about 

 as high as they care to perch, and that not very often. They prefer 

 open ground, especially bare ground or where the grass is short, 

 and they are almost never seen where the vegetation grows rank and 

 high. Among the stubble or tufts of short grass, they walk or run in 

 a crouching attitude, reminding one more of mic« than of birds; 

 often they squat and hide until too closely approached. They are not 

 particularly shy, if carefully approached, and seem to feel aware of 

 their ability to conceal themselves in scanty cover. If we remain 

 motionless while the bird is liiding, it will soon lift its head and 

 look about, but at the slightest movement on our part it squats again 

 or runs or flies away. 



Dr. Townsend (1905) says: "It is a persistent fighter or ex- 

 tremely playful, whichever you will, and is constantly engaged in 

 chasing its fellows. I have seen two face each other for a moment, 

 with heads down like fighting cocks, the next instant twisting and 

 turning in the air, one in hot pursuit of the other. Wlien in flocks 

 with the other winter birds, they more frequently chase them, es- 

 pecially the smaller Longspurs. I have also seen them chase Snow 

 Buntings, and often Ipswich Sparrows that were feeding with them, 

 and once, what appeared to be a Prairie Horned Lark." 



Voice. — Aside from the courtship flight song, described above, the 

 vocal performances of the horned lark do not amount to much. 

 Townsend and Allen (1907) say of other notes, heard in Labrador: 

 "The familiar sibilant squeaking call note was commonly used, and 

 also a note which we do not remember to have heard during the 

 migration in Massachusetts. This sounded like zzuri-it and was 

 often preceded by another note thus, whit-zzurrit. These notes 

 were occasionally so soft and sweet that they recalled the trilling 

 whistle of the Least Sandpiper." 



Ralph Hoffmann (1927) writes: "The common note of the Horned 

 Lark is a shrill tsee^ or tsee-de-ree^ and a still sharper double-sylla- 

 bled ti-sick. The song is thin and unmusical, suggesting the sylla- 



