THE BIRD BOOK 



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4.74c— 4Ji4g ITtr 



474b. Prairie Horned Lark. 



Otocoris alpestris praticola. 



Range. — Breeds in the Mississippi Valley from Illinois 

 north to Manitoba and east to the Middle States; winters 

 south to Carolina and Texas. 



This sub-species is considerably smaller than the Horn 

 ed Lark, and the throat is paler yellow, while the line over 

 the eye and the forehead is white. They 

 are the most abundant and have the 

 most extended range of any of the better 

 known species. In the Mississippi Val- 

 ley, where they are of the most common 

 of the nesting birds, they build on the 

 ground in meadows or cultivated fields, 

 and very often in cornfields; the nests 

 are made of grasses and lined with horse hairs or feathers, 

 and placed in slight hollows generally under a tuft of grass 

 or sods. They raise two broods a season and sometimes 

 three, laying the first set of eggs in March and another in 

 June or July. The three or four eggs have an olive buff 

 ground and are thickly sprinkled with drab and lavender; 

 size .83 x .60. 



Olive buff 



474c. Desert Horned Lark. Otocoris alpestris leu- 

 colcema. 



Range. — Plains of western United States, east of the Rockies and west of 

 Kansas and Dakota; breeds north to Alberta, and winters south to Mexico, 

 Texas and southern California. 



This species is like praticola, but paler on the back; nest and eggs the same. 



474d. Texas Horned Lark. Otocoris alpestris giraudi. 



Range. — Coast of southeastern Texas. 



A pale variety like leucoloema, but smaller; throat bright yellow, and breast 

 tinged with yellow- Nest and eggs like those of the others. 



474c. California Horned Lark. Otocoris alpestris actia. 



Range. — Lower California and southern California. 



This bird is similar to the last but the yellow areas are brighter, and the 

 nape and back are ruddy. 



1714'. Ruddy Horned Lark. Otocoris alpestris rubea 



Range. Sacramento Valley. California. 



This variety has the yellow areas brighter than in any other 

 and the back and nape arp raorp ruddy. The eggs cannot be 

 distinguished from those of the others. 



Olive buff 



