Brown, Olive or Grayish Brown, and Brown and Gray Sparrowy Birds 



victims might be slaughtered annually to tickle the palates of the 

 epicure. It is a mystery what they find to fatten upon when 

 snow covers the frozen ground. Even in the severe midwinter 

 storms they will not seek the protection of the woods, but always 

 prefer sandy dunes with their scrubby undergrowth or open 

 meadow lands. Occasionally a small flock wanders toward the 

 fiirms to pick up seeds that are blown from the hayricks or scat- 

 tered about the barn-yard by overfed domestic fowls. 



The Prairie Horned Lark (Otocoris alpestris praticola) is 

 similar to the preceding, but a trifle smaller and paler, with a 

 white instead of a yellow streak above the eye, the throat yellow- 

 ish or entirely white instead of sulphur-yellow, and other minor 

 differences. It has a far more southerly range, confined to north- 

 ern portions of the United States from the Mississippi eastward. 

 Once a distinctly prairie bird, it now roams wherever large 

 stretches of open country that suit its purposes are cleared in the 

 East, and remains resident. This species also sings in midair on 

 the wing, but its song is a crude, half-inarticulate affair, barely 

 audible from a height of two hundred feet. 



American Pipit 



(Anthtis pensilvanicus) Wagtail family 



Called also: TITLARK; BROWN OR RED LARK 



Length — 6.38 to 7 inches. About the size of a sparrow. 



Male and Female — Upper parts brown; wings and tail dark olive- 

 brown; the wing coverts tipped with buff or whitish, and 

 ends of outer tail feathers white, conspicuous in flight. 

 White or yellowish eye-ring, and line above the eye. Un- 

 derneath light buff brown, with spots on breast and sides, 

 the under parts being washed with brown of various shades. 

 Feet brown. Hind toe-nail as long as or longer than the 

 toe. 



Ratige — North America at large. Winters south of Virginia to 

 Mexico and beyond. 



Migrations — April. October or November. Common in the 

 United States, chiefly during the migrations. 



The color of this bird varies slightly with age and sex, the 

 under parts ranging from white through pale rosy brown to a 



135 



