LARKS 



213 



'I'hc Horned Larks arc small luit hardy birds 

 which frequent the open country and never live 

 in forests. They are found in a great variety 

 of situations, and feed along roads, in weedy or 

 freshly plowed fields, on commons or other waste 

 ])Iaces, and in closely grazed pastures, meadows, 

 and stubble fields. The beaches and salt marshes 

 of the coasts, the lake shores, muddy flats, and 

 swamps of the interior are thronged with them 

 in fall and winter. In the Far West they live in 

 hot desert valleys, on arid table-lands, on level 

 grassy prairies, in the foothills, and even (jn bare 

 moimtain peaks. 



They are readily distinguished from other 

 small ground-loving birds. They are about the 

 size of the Bluebird, tlieir throats are white or 

 yellow, there is a conspicuous black mark across 

 the breast, and just above and behind the eyes 

 are small pointed tufts of dark-colored feathers 

 which are often erected. These black tufts or 

 horns are perhaps the bird's most characteristic 

 feature, and give origin to the common name 

 " Horned Lark," by which it is known over 

 most of the United States. " Shore Lark " is 

 another common name, though a less apt one. 



Many of the popular names of the Horned 

 Larks emphasize the fact that they are preemi- 

 nently terrestrial birds. During the day they 

 run nimbly over the surface in quest of food ; 

 at night they roost in small companies on the 

 bare earth. A clod or stone is a favorite perch, 

 and they are rarely seen in a bush or tree. They 

 nest early, the first clutch of eggs often being 

 completed before the snow has disappeared. The 

 nests are of the simplest description, in keeping 

 with the artless character of the bird, being 

 little cups of grass placed in slight depressions in 

 the ground. Two or even three broods are raised 

 in a year, a fact which sufficiently explains the 

 great numbers of the species in some localities. 



The flight of the Horned Larks is hesitant. 

 They usually start hurriedly from the ground, 

 uttering short, whistled notes, and it is very 

 characteristic of them that frequently when dis- 

 turbed they fly straight away for a short distance, 

 only to swing around and alight near the start- 

 ing point. In the mating season, however, they 

 ascend to great heights and, like the Skylark, 

 sing while on the wing. The song is neither 

 complex nor loud, but it is wild, joyous, and full 

 of the free spirit of the prairie and the open 

 fields. 



The birds thus characterized occur at some 

 time of the year in all parts of North America, 

 except the Aleutian Islands, the southern coastal 

 portion of .Maska, extreme southeastern United 



States, and Central America. This vast range 

 is occupied by only one S])ecies, which, however, 

 varies so greatly in different localities that it 

 has been separated into no fewer than twenty- 

 one varieties or subspecies. During the breed- 

 ing season these geographic forms are restricted 

 to separate areas, but in winter, on account of the 

 tendency of the southern races to wander and 

 of the northern ones to migrate, the subspecies 

 mingle, and as many as seven ( Arizona) or 

 eight (California) forms occur in one State. 

 In summer in the United .States ( including 

 .'\laska ) there are fifteen subspecies of Horned 

 Larks, and in winter seventeen. 



The several members of the family Alatididcr, 



Couitesy of Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 

 HORNED LARK (J nat. size) 



which includes these forms, are interesting birds. 

 Their habit of walking, instead of hopping, dis- 

 tinguishes them from many small ground birds. 

 They have long hind claws, the prints of which 

 in the snow or along the muddy shores of ponds 

 often indicate where the Larks have been run- 

 ning. They molt but once a year, usually in 

 August, while many birds molt twice and a 

 few three times. The nuptial dress is acquired 

 not by molting, but by the wearing away of 

 the tips of the winter feathers, revealing the 

 brighter colors beneath. The plumage of the 

 Larks is generally neutral in tint, especially when 

 viewed from above, and so harmonizes with their 

 surroundings that it has a protective value, and 

 enables the birds, in a measure, to escape the 

 notice of enemies. 



Examination of 11 54 stomachs collected in all 

 parts of the United States and southern Canada 

 shows that the food of the Horned Larks con- 

 sists of insects 20.6 per cent, and vegetable mat- 

 ter, nearly six-sevenths of which are weed seed, 

 79.4 per cent. The nestlings are highly insec- 



