116 



PACIFIC COAST AVIFAUNA 



No. 14 



bird prefers tlie high, dry prairie l)enehes, areas that extend for many s(|uai'(' 

 jniles throngli the prairie region, and where the only other bird to be found is 

 the Desert Horned Lark. In such places the grass is shorter than in places in- 

 ha])ited by C. oriiahis. Areas do occur, howevei-, where the two species of Hum- 

 nier longspurs may be found together. 



Migrations take place in April and September. At Terry the average date 

 of arrival for nine years is April 26, and the earliest April 22, 1894. At Big 

 Sandy, four years give an average of May 2, with April 28, 1904, for the earliest 

 (Cooke, 1911, p. 16). Other dates are: Choteau, April 16, 1912 (Saunders, 

 ]914a, p. 187); Dutton. April 18. 1915, April 14, 1916, and April 18. 1917 



Fig. 25. Nest am) Kc.ds ok iiik McCown l^(i.\(i- 

 spuK. Choteau; July 6, 1912. 



(DuBois, ]\IS). Fall dates are few. The only observation that 1, personally, 

 have made is from Choteau, October l(i, li)l 1. Others are : Miles City, Septemb.-i- 

 27, 1900 (Hedges, coll. Univ. Montana) and October 19, 1919 (Hedges). 



Nesting begins in May and lasts until July; the birds evidently usually hav- 

 ing two broods. The earliest date for eggs from any point in the state is fi-oiti 

 Dutton, May 9, 1915 (DuBois, MS). There are numerous records for nests in 

 late May and early June, and also a good many for eggs early in July. T\w 

 latest is from Dutton, July 28, 1916, four eggs (DuBois, .MS). The earliest date 

 for young is from Choteau, May 23, 1912, when the young were already half- 

 grown. 



