ONTARIO. 



of the breast; auricular mixed olive and chestnut (the 'latter prevailing), 

 somewhat darker immediately behind the eye ; lore with an indistinct dusky 

 streak; entire pileum rich chestnut, becoming darker next the bill when 

 divided medially by a short and rather indistinct yellow streak ; rest of the 

 upper parts olive, tinged with brown on the back and brightening into 

 yellowish olive-green on the rump and upper tail-coverts, the latter having 

 shaft streaks of I'eddish-chestnut ; tail-feathers dusky, edged externally with 

 yellowish-olive, the inner webs of the two outer feathers broadly tipped with 

 white ; wings dusky, all the feathers edged with pale brownish-olive, this 

 edging rather widest on the ends of the middle and greater coverts, 

 where, however, they do not form any indication of bands. Wing, 2.65 ; 

 tail, 2.50. 



Hab. Atlantic States north to Hudson's Bay. Breeds from New Bruns- 

 wick and Nova Scotia northward ; winters in the South Atlantic and Gulf 

 States. 



Nest, on the ground ; built of bark fibre, grass and moss, and lined with 

 hair and feathers. 



Eggs, creamy-white, blotched with reddish-brown at the larger end. 



As this interesting bird is said to be abundant in the 

 Eastern States as far west as the Plains, we should expect to 

 find it also plentiful tn Ontario, but I have not so observed it 

 near Hamilton. Occasionall}^ late in the fall or early in spring, 

 it is seen running about on the ground, b}' the roadsides or in 

 bare weedy fields, but it is not at anytime abundant, and some- 

 times altogether absent. It is very different, in many respects, 

 from the other members of the group in which it has been placed ; 

 its building its nest on the ground and the jerk}^ motions of its 

 tail suggesting relationship with the Tit Lark. 



Some ten years ago, while examining a large series of speci- 

 mens of this species in the National Museum, Mr. Ridgway 

 observed a wide difference in the intensity of the coloring of 

 different individuals in the group. An examination, as to the 

 localities from which they had been obtained, showed that the 

 highly colored individuals were from the east of the Alleghanies, 

 while those m plainer attire were all from farther west. A com- 

 parison of specimens in the possession of different collectors in 

 these districts showed that the differences referred to were con- 

 stant, and apparently a Geographical race, which has led to 

 the variety we are now considering being described as a sub- 



269 



