THE ALASKAN LONGSPUR. 



No. 37. 



ALASKAN LONGSPUR. 



A. O. U. 536a. Calcarius lapponiciis alascensis Ridgw. 



Description. — Adult male in siiiiiiiicr: Head, throat, and fore-breast black; 

 a buffy line behind eye and sometimes over eye; a broad nuchal patch, or collar, 

 of chcsinut-rufons ; remaining upperparts light grayish brown, streaked with 

 black and with some whitish edging; below white; heavily streaked with black 

 on sides and tlanks ; tail fnscous with oblique white patches on the outer rectrices; 

 feet and legs black; bill yellow with black tip. Adult iiiale in laintcr: Lighter 

 above; the black of head and chestnut of cervical collar partially overlaid with 

 buffy or whitish edging; the black of throat and breast more or less obscured by 

 whitish edging. Adult female in summer: Similar to male in summer, but no 

 continuous black or chestnut anywhere ; the black of head mostly confined to 

 centers of feathers, — these edged with buffy ; the chestnut of cervical collar only 

 faintlj' indicated as edging of feathers with sharply outlined dusky centers ; black 

 of throat and chest pretty tboroly obscured by grayish edgmg, but the general 

 pattern retained ; sides and flanks with a few sharp dusky streaks. Adult female 

 in zcinter: [Description of October specimen taken in Seattle] Above buffy 

 grayish brown streaked (centrally U])on feathers) w'ith black, wing coverts and 

 tertials with rusty areas between the black and the buffy, and tipped with wiiite ; 

 underparts warm buffy brownish, lightening on lower breast, abdomen, and under 

 tail-coverts (where immaculate), lightly streaked with black on throat, chest, and 

 sides, sharply on sides and flanks. Length of adult males about 6.50; wing 

 377 (95-8) : tail 2.50 (63.3) ; bill .46 (11.7) ; tarsus .86 (21.8). Female smriller. 



Recognition Marks. — Sparrow size ; terrestrial habits ; black head and 

 breast of male. The bird may be distinguished from the Horned Lark, with 

 which it sometimes associates, by the greater extent of its black areas, and by 

 the chirruping or rattling cry which it makes wdien rising from the ground. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in Washington. Nest: in grass tussock on ground, 

 flimsy or bulky, of grasses and moss, frequently water-soaked, and lined carefully 

 with tine coiled grass, and occasionally feathers. Eggs: 4-6, light clay-color with 

 a pale greenish tinge, variously marked, — speckled, spotted, scrawled, blotched, or 

 entirely overlaid w'ith light brown or chocolate brown. Av. size .80 x .62 ( 20.3 x 

 15.7). Season: first week in June; one brood. 



General Range. — "The whole of Alaska, including (and breeding on) the 

 Pribilof and Aleutian Islands, Lhialaska, and the Shuniagins ; east to Fort Simp- 

 son, south in winter thru more western parts of Xorth America to Nevada 

 (Carson City), eastern ( )regon, Colorado, western Kansas, etc." (Ridgway). 



Range in Washington. — Presumably of more or less regular occurrence in 

 winter on the Hast-sidc. Casual west of the Cascades. 



Authorities. — ("La])land Longs])ur,'" Johnson, Rep. Gov. W. T. 1884 

 (1885) 22.) Dawson, Auk. \ol. XX\'. Oct. 1908, p. 483. 



B^' all the rules this bird should be abundant in winter in tlic stubble 

 fields of the Palouse country, if not upun the prairies of Pierce. Thurstnn. and 



