.-iO THE WILSON QUARTIiRLY. 



same time she usually shows a preference ; but if she does 

 not, a battle decides it. Females of the previous season, 

 only a year old, who have not before had suitors, are often 

 sought by old mates who have lost their mates or been un- 

 successful in their love affairs. Usually such females show 

 a preference. In any case a battle is the court of final ap- 

 peal. 



It may be asked if there are not sometimes more females 

 than males. I have always found it to be the other way. 

 If a female loses her mate she at once seeks another and 

 always finds him I 



No sooner is courtship over than the business of the 

 household begins. Accompanied by her mate, the female se- 

 lects a nesting place. Usually a location not many feet from a 

 road or foot-path is chosen. Often, perhaps in the majority 

 of cases, a gently sloping side hill is chosen ; but I have 

 found a great many nests on bottom-lands, and a very few 

 on the hill-tops. 



The location chosen, both birds set to work to hollow out 

 a little space about three inches deep at the foot of a tuft of 

 grass or some elevation to serve as a slight protection, but 

 not large enough to be conspicuous ; rather to divert than 

 to draw attention. 



In this "slight hollow a scanty supply of fine, dry grass is 

 arranged, the rim of the nest just appearing above the sur- 

 face of the ground. But the material used is not always 

 grass. If the nest is in a cornfield, the dry husks and 

 leaves of corn are laid next the earth, with a lining of soft 

 corn-silks above. 



The general makeuj) of the nest differs at different times 

 of the year. It is well known that the Horned Larks rear 

 two or even three broods in a season. The first nest, which 

 is made in February or March, would very naturally be more 

 elaborate and warmer, while those made in July would be 

 very slight. A nest is never used twice. 



How long does it take a pair of larks to build a nest ? That 

 depends upon the weather, whether material is plenty, and 

 whether they are in a hurry to begin house-keeping. A 



