138 The Wilson Bulletin— No. 100 



12th, and on the 23rd newly-hatched young- (perhaps ten 

 hours from the shell), with eyelids unopened and s:r.all 

 patches of grayish-white down showing. 



Visiting this nest again on the 25th I found considerable 

 development in the nestlings — eyes well-opened and good 

 sized patches of down on either side of the forehead, occiput, 

 back and wings. How narrowly this brood also missed a 

 tragic end was apparent in the track of a farmer's wagon 

 which had passed a few feet away, while cow-manure had 

 been scattered in all directions, one fork-full almost touching 

 the nest. On my next visit (May 1) the condition of the 

 nest showed that the young had recently left, probably the 

 same morning. 



In this instance the en.tire operation, from the time the nest 

 was commenced until the young had vacated, occupied twenty- 

 five days, or possibly a little less. Three days were occu- 

 pied in nest-construction, four in which to deposit the eggs, 

 eleven (plus) for incubation, and seven to mature the young 

 sufficiently to enable them to leave the nest. 



Having devoted very little time to the Larks during May 

 and June, my notes at this period are very scanty, although 

 I am well aware that this species nests a second and possibly 

 a third time. 



After a period of quiet, incident to the care of the first 

 brood, the song becomes more frequent during- the month of 

 May. The wide first-nesting range, from late March through- 

 out April, makes it difficult to say whether birds found breed- 

 ing in early May have already raised a brood or not. May 15 

 (1915), T flushed a Lark near a fresh excavation. By the 

 22nd this nest was fully lined, but for some reason was later 

 deserted. This was probably a second nesting, as I found 

 another nest, about fifty yards distant, in which a brood had 

 been raised earlier in the season. 



During the heat of summer the Prairie Horned Lark is 

 not much in evidence and is usually to be seen in family 

 groups. Tt sings less and the earlier activity is gone. How- 

 ever, the cause of seeming scarcity is due more to the fact 



