Ornithological Notes. 381 



sings its first and principal song on tlie wing. However, the 

 Shore-LarVs is not tlie only very poor song that has been 

 termed pretty. 



This species begins to breed very early. On the 2nd April, 

 1884, I took a nest in a pasture-field about 200 yards from 

 my house, with three eggs, which were somewhat incubated, 

 and must have been laid by the 27th of March, the building 

 of the nest having been commenced perhaps a week earlier. 

 There was a fall of snow after the female had begun to sit, 

 and her warmth had melted a small hole, about five inches in 

 diameter, above the nest. A month or so later, my son Allan 

 found a nest of young birds in one of my wheat-fields. This 

 year we found another nest with four eggs_, in a clover-field 

 close to the house, on the 27th of May, the eggs in it being 

 somewhat incubated ; but the spring this year was a late one, 

 the snow remaining on the ground till the beginning of April. 

 I have only seen one species of Shore-Lark here, viz. 0. al- 

 pestris. The amount of yellow about the throat is variable, 

 and it fades away as the summer advances, often leaving the 

 part formerly yellow quite white. After the autumn moult 

 the yellow is regained. 



During the winter of 1882-3 I procured a good number 

 of Mealy Redpoles, Linota linaria (Linnaeus), which remained 

 about till the beginning of April, and I frequently heard the 

 males singing. The song is even poorer than that of the 

 Shore-Lark, being the same note very rapidly repeated; and 

 those who have heard the song of the American Chipping 

 Sparrow will understand the style of that of the Mealy Red- 

 pole. Its voice and song differ from those of the Lesser 

 Redpole, L. rufescens ; it is, too, a much larger bird, the 

 largest I got measuring 5*7 inches; but about 5 inches is 

 the length of an average male. Males in the red plumage 

 may be obtained as soon as they arrive, in the beginning of 

 November ; they are then browner and less mealy-looking. 

 As the spring advances, the fulvous feathers fade to almost 

 or quite white. The males, however, become much brighter 

 red as summer ajaproachcs, a male dated May, given to me by 

 Mr. Dresser, being intensely red. It should be remembered 



