BIRD NOTES AFIELD 



THE LARK FAMILY 



85. Horned Lark; Otocoris alpestris (Linn.)- 



An inhabitant of open fields and wind-swept meadows, where they 

 run instead of hop upon the ground. The adult males have black horn- 

 like tufts of feathers extending backward over the eyes. The forehead 

 is white, the top of the head black; there is a black patch immediately 

 below the eye, and another larger one on the breast. The back is 

 brown, generally vinaceous in tone and more or less streaked. The 

 breast is white, and the throat and face between the black marking white, 

 more or less tinged with yellow, this sometimes becoming a strong sulphur 

 color. 



There is but one species of horned lark in North America, divided 

 into a number of race forms in various localities. In southern California 

 the Mexican horned lark is the prevailing form, a larger and less bril- 

 liantly ruddy variety than the ruddy horned lark, which is found in the 

 Sacramento Valley. In northern California the streaked horned lark 

 is the characteristic form. As its name implies it is more streaked on 

 the back, and the white of the breast is tinged with pale yellow. 



THE FAMILY OF CROWS, JAYS AND MAGPIES 



86. American Magpie; Pica pica hudsonica (Sab.). 



A characteristic and easily recognizable bird of the desert region 

 east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Length about a foot and a half; 

 tail long and tapering from the central feather. Head, back and breast 

 smoky black; wings and tail iridescent purplish and greenish black. 

 Shoulder patches and belly white; bill black. 



87. Yellow-billed Magpie; Pica nuttalli, Aud. 



Almost identical with the preceding, but with a yellow bill. Com- 

 mon in the interior valleys of the State. 



88. Steller's Jay; C})anocitta sielleri (Gmel.). 



A noisy bird of the pines and redwoods; large, about a foot in 

 length. Crested ; fore part of body dark sooty, turning into a dark blue 

 on remaining portions. On the wings and tail the blue is brighter and 

 barred with blackish. Steller's jay is the western representative of the 

 eastern blue jay, from which it differs greatly, however. It is darker 

 along the northwest coast of California and thence northward, repre- 

 senting the typical Steller's variety. In the remaining portions of Cali- 

 fornia, where it is everywhere abundant in the mountains, it has a num- 

 ber of blue streaks on the forehead and about the face, and the general 

 color is rather lighter. This variety is known as the Blue-fronted Jay 

 (C^anocitta sielleri frontalis). 



[1801 



