THE STREAKED HORNED LARK. 345 



hair lines scattered over its center. Not lieing- absolntely identified, I liave not 

 figured one of tbem. Specimens taken in winter at Salem, Oreg-on, by Dr. 

 Clinton T. Cooke, have been identiiied as this subspecies; the majority; however, 

 move farther south, spending- the colder part of the year in southern California. 



133. Otocoris alpestris adusta Dwight. 



SCOKCHKI) H()1!NEI> I.ARK. 



Olovori.s .ilprslris ,i,hixt,t DwiCHiT, Auk, VII, April, ISOO, 148. 



(B _, -, R -, C -, U 474/,.) 



GEUciUAPHicAL RANGE: S..iitlH-.M Aii/...na and New Mexico, western Texas, ami 

 soutbwiird into iiortbeFii Mexico. 



Tlie l)reeding range of the Scorched Horned Lark is confined to the soutli- 

 ern borders of th^e United States through southern Arizona, the greater part of 

 New Mexico and western Texas, south into northern Mexico. This race inhabits 

 the more arid valleys and table-lands so connnon in the regions mentioned, and 

 in suitable localities it is resident throughout the year. In New Mexico it lias 

 been found breeding as far north as Santa Fe, which probably marks the north- 

 ern limits of its range. Tlie Scorched Horned Lark is a common breeder m 

 the Adcinity of Forts Huachuca and Bowie, in southern Arizona, where Mr. 

 Frederick Hall Fowler found a number of their nests and eggs; and the United 

 States National Museum is indebted to him for all the sets of this subspecies in 



the collection. . 



Its general habits, nests, etc., are similar to those of the other members ot 

 this genus. The nests, according to Mr. Fowler, are sunk linsli with the surface 

 of the ground, an<l are usually placed beside a tussock of grass or a piece of 

 dry cow dung in the open i)iain, and more rarely under a busli, as these are 

 more or less frequented in midday by snakes and egg-eating lizards. The 

 number of eggs laid to a set varies from two to foui-, sets of three beuig most 

 common. The eggs resend)le those of our other Horned Larks in color and 

 markings, but are mostly short ovate in shape. The nesting season appears to 

 be at its height in April, and probably several broods are raised in a season. 



The a^"erage measurement of fifteen eggs in the United States National 

 Museum collection is 21.27 by 1G.08 millimetres, <.r about 0..S4 by 0.G3 inch 

 The largest egg in the series measures 23.88 by lG.2(i millimetres, or ().i»4 by 0.G4 

 inch- the smallest, li).56 by 16 millimetres, or 0.77 by O.G;3 inch. 



The type specimen, No. 2r.242 (I'l. .^ Fig. 31), from a set of three e^g^, 

 was taken in- Mr. Frederick Hall Fowler, near Fort Huachuca, Arizona, on May 

 5, 1892, and represents one of the larger eggs of this subspecies. 



