ORNITHOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS. 2?7 



where in the lower phices where grass grows abuudautly, whether the 

 ground is the swami^y tundra or the dry sand dunes ; but also on the 

 sloping hillsides, sometimes even on the more elevated Empetrum and 

 Ehododendron tundra is the " Inlatschugi^-* of the Copper Islanders to 

 be met with, but never higher up on the mountains. 



Eather shy, but always in movement and cheerful, the Titlark makes 

 itself a conspicuous feature, especially on the few sunny days, when, 

 rising high iu the air, it trills its very well-meant but rather monotonous 

 and unmelodious song (if this wooden-sounding chirping really can be 

 called a song) while on the wing. B(?sides this, it has another short 

 song, somewhat like tsirrrrrr, isij), isip, fsip, and the call-note is a short 

 tsip, tsip! The warning-cry is similar, but louder and harsher. 



The arrival at the islands in spring takes place in the latter part of 

 May, and the pairs soon select their homes and commence the breed- 

 ing business, and the first eggs in 1883 were obtained as early as the 

 30th of JMay ; on Copper Island, I met fully-fledged young on the 9th 

 of July, 1883. They do not content themselves with one brood, how- 

 ever, the eggs of the second laying being freqnently found in July. The 

 nest which I took on Copper Island, on July 13, had not yet received 

 the full number, as it only contained two fresh eggs. 



The nests consist of dry grasses exclusively, and never contained a 

 single feather, in that respect constantly differing from those of Calca- 

 rius lapponicus and Fhctrophenax nivalis. Tiie dimensions of the nests 

 average: External diameter, 90'"'"; internal diameter, 45™"^. 



The eggs are very much like those of Anthus ludovicianus, with the 

 usual great variation, the general coloration showing all shades between 

 olive gray and violet gray. In Nos. 21768 and 21767 the mottlings are 

 evenly distributed all over the egg, while, in 21818 they run together 

 into a ring around the thick end. One egg of the latter set is curiously 

 long and narrow. 



* An Aleut name, as they have uo Russian appellation for this bird. On Bering 

 Maud, where the Lougspur is more conspicuous, the Titlark is simply called "another 

 kind of tschelutscMk" for distinction. 



