THE ALASKA HORNED LARK. a3 
ward and produced into a feather-tuft or “horn,” black; a broad bar from nostril 
to eye thence curving downward and expanding to involve hinder portion of 
cheeks and auriculars anteriorly, black; a crescentic patch across upper chest 
black; forehead and superciliaries pale yellow (primrose yellow) paling poste- 
riorly; auriculars yellow continuous with and deepening into straw yellow of 
chin, throat and malar region; remaining underparts white, the sides and flanks 
dull vinaceous streaked with dusky; upperparts in general warm grayish brown, 
the middle of crown, occiput, nape, lesser wing-coverts and upper tail-coverts 
vinaceous-cinnamon ; back, scapulars and rump grayish brown, each feather edged 
with paler and having dusky center; wings hair-brown with paler edgings, the 
outermost primary edged with white; tail chiefly black, the middle pair of 
feathers dusky, edged with whitish, the two lateral pairs edged with white. 
Bill black lightening below (basally); legs and feet black; iris dark brown. 
Adult female in swnmer: Like male but duller and paler, the black areas 
reduced in extent and obscured by brownish or buffy tips; yellow of superciliary 
stripe, etc., duller and paler; upperparts more noticeably streaked and with less 
of vinaceous tint on hind neck and upper tail-coverts. Both sexes in fall and 
winter are somewhat more heavily and more uniformly colored save on black 
areas which are overcast by buffy or brownish tips; also forebreast dusky or 
obscurely spotted. Young birds are heavily speckled above with yellowish white 
on brownish and dusky ground. Length of adult male: 7.00-7.50 (177-190) ; 
wing 4.37 (111); tail 2.83 (72); bill .48 (12.2) ; tarsus .94 (24). Adult female: 
6.75-7.25 (171-184); wing 4.09 (104); tail 2.48 (63); bill .43 (11.1); tarsus 
aOn(2322));,|| 
Description.—4dults: Similar to O. alpestris but upperparts paler and 
grayer, less warmed by vinaceous; no yellow (or merest tinge on head and 
throat )—white instead; size about the same. 
Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; black crescent on upper chest; black 
cheek and crown patches; feather-tufts or “horns” directed backward. To be 
distinguished from O. a. merrilli and O. a. strigata by larger size and absence 
of yellow. 
Nesting.—Not certainly known to breed in Washington but possibly does so 
above timber-line. Nest: a cup-shaped depression in the surface of the ground, 
plentifully lined with fine grasses, moss, grouse feathers, etc. Eggs: 3 or 4, 
greenish- or grayish-white, profusely and minutely dotted with olive-buff, 
greenish-brown and lavender. Avy. size .95 x .06 (27 x 16.7). 
General Range.— ‘Breeding in Alaska (except Pacific coast district) and 
valley of the Upper Yukon River, Northwest Territory; migrating southward 
to Oregon, Utah, Montana, etc.” (Ridgway). 
Range in Washington.—Common winter resident and migrant east of the 
Cascades. Birds breeding on the higher mountains are doubtfully referable 
to this form. 
Authorities—O. a. leucolema (Coues), Dawson, Auk, XIV. 1897, 176. 
IDEs We 
Specimens.— Prov. 
THE Horned Lark bears the reputation of being the most plastic of 
American species—the Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) being a close sec- 
