June, 1889.] 



a:n^d oologist. 



87 



feet. From this remarkable habit of soaring 

 to a great heiglit it is locally known as the 

 skylark, and is correctly so termed. Many of 

 my most pleasant days afield have been spent 

 with these birds from early morning till sun- 

 set on a chilly March day with the air full of 

 their music. 



On March 28th of the past spring, I discovered 

 my first three nests with eggs of this sjiecies; 

 all were full sets, but none of the eggs were 

 incubated. If the weather is unfavorable with 

 slight snowfall the bird does not incubate her 

 eggs immediately, as to ascertain this I have left 

 a full set eight days, at the end of which time 

 on blowing I have found them to be perfectly 

 fresh. The full set is usually four, more often 

 three than five. These vary considerably in 

 markings, but are usually thickly covered with 

 greenish or gray spots and specks, somewhat 

 after the pattern of some Shrikes' eggs I have 

 seen. 



Last to describe but not least interesting is 

 its nest, which although simple in its construc- 

 tion shows skill and good judgment on the 

 part of its builder to a marked degree. It is 

 sunken beneath the surface of the gi-ound with 

 thick walls of fine dry grass, and is artfully 

 concealed by its natural appearance, and well 

 protected in every way from the weather. It 

 is always placed on the south slope of a hill, 

 and often further protected from the northern 

 winds by some small knoll or projecting piece 

 of earth. An inexperienced person might 

 walk within a few feet of the nest and not be 

 able to find it, so closely does it resemble the 

 ground about it, and the eggs also are nearly 

 the color of the latter. On the whole its nest 

 is not an easy one to find, as the watchfulness 

 and misleading actions of the birds upon any- 

 one's approach help to protect it. 



A second, and I believe a third brood, is 

 raised later in the season. Otho C. Poling. 



Qiiincy, 111. 



Nesting of the Prairie Horned Lark 

 in Vermont. 



Upon looking up the records on the subject 

 I have not been able to find any authentic 

 record of any of the Shore Larks breeding 

 within the New England States, and therefore 

 the following notes on the nesting of the 

 Prairie Horned Lark {Otocoris alpestris prati- 

 cola) will be of interest. 



It occurs in this section from September 

 through the winter until July, witli the excep- 

 tion of December and .January. 



The birds arrive about the middle of Sep- 

 tember, and become generally dispersed by 

 the twentieth of that month, and are common 

 during October and a greater part of Novem- 

 ber, when they depart. They reappear again 

 about the middle of February, and become 

 common by the last of that month, when they 

 remain in greater or less abundance during 

 March. The bulk of them migrate in March, 

 leaving a few pairs here and there whicli 

 doubtless all might be taken in the act of 

 breeding. 



From its occurring during this part of the 

 year I have long thought to place it on the list 

 of the birds which breed in this locality, but I 

 have not until recently been able to do so from 

 a positively identified nest. 



Two of these have come to my notice, one 

 found early in April, 1885 (I can not give the 

 exact date of either), contained three young 

 birds and one egg. Unfortunately the parent 

 bird was not taken with the nest, but as it was 

 collected by an ornithological friend who is 

 familiar with the species, there can be no 

 doubt as to its identity. The other was also 

 taken early in April |and contained four eggs. 

 I have examined one of these eggs and it is 

 unquestionably that of a Shore Lark. 



I can also note one instance (April 0, 1888) 

 of an immature egg taken from the 9 which 

 must have been deposited in a short time. 



The nest which removes all uncertainty in 

 regard to the breeding of this species in this 

 locality, however, I collected April 19, 1889. 

 While passing through a meadow, I flushed an 

 old bird, which tried in every way possible to 

 decoy me away. Upon looking around I dis- 

 covered the nest, which I took with the 9 

 bird. The nest was situated on grass land, on 

 slightly sloping ground. It was a loose struc- 

 ture, like most ground nesters, and was sunk 

 in the ground to the rim. It was composed of 

 coarse grass lined with the same and contained 

 four eggs slightly incubated. 



I think the Shore Lark will yet be found to 



be not a rare breeder in this locality. 



a H. Parkhill. 

 Cornwall, Vermont. 



[At my request Mr. Parkhill sent the 9 bird 

 which he took to Mr. William Brewster for 

 identification, and Mr. Parkhill writes me that 

 Mr. Brewster pronounces it to be a typical 

 specimen of the Prairie Horned Lark {Otocoris 

 alpestris praticola), and, furthermore, that it is 

 the first recorded instance of the bi-eeding 

 of any form of Otocoris in New England. — 

 J.P.N.] 



