THE ALASKA HORNED 1 



iKi 



sensitive upon the subject of metes and bounds. As for the insect world lie 

 rules it with a rod of iron. Sec him as he moves alxnit thru a tile of slender 

 poplars. He tlits restlessly from branch to branch, now |)eerinj,' up at the 

 under surface of a leaf, now darting into the air to secure a heedless midge, 

 and closing upon it with an emphatic snap, now spreading the tail in ])ardi»n- 

 able vanity or from sheer exuberance of spirits: but ever and anon ]>ausing 

 just long enough to squeeze out a half-sculding song. The paler-colored 

 female, contrary to the usual wont, is not less active nor less noticeable than 

 the male, except as she is restrained for a season by the duties of incubation. 

 She is even believed to sing a little on her own account, not because her mate 

 d<ies not sing enough for two, but because she — well, for the same reason tliat 

 a woman whistles, — and good luck to her! 



During the mating season great rivalries .■spring up, and males will ciiase 

 each other about in most bewildering mazes, like a i)air of great firc-tlies, 

 and with no better weapons — fighting fire with fire. When the nesting site 

 is chosen the male is very jealous of intruders, and bustles up in a tlireatening 

 fashion, which quite overawes most birds of guileless intent. 



Redstart's song is sometimes little better than an emiihatesccnt squeak. 

 At other times his emotion fades after the utterance of two or three notes, and 

 the last one dies out. .V more jiretentious effort is represented by Mr. Chap- 

 man as "Chilli/, chin;/, ilwc; scr-wcc, s^vcc. S7ccc-c-f-c." Many variations 

 from tiiese tyjies may be noted, and I once mistook the attem|)t of a colorless 

 voung stripling of one summer for that of a Pileolateil Warbler. 



Our Kedstart shares with the Yellow Warliler alone the di.stinction of 

 representing among us in if'.'Hi sf>fcic the Warlilcr hosts of the East. Even so. 

 our scanty summer population of Redstarts, confined as it is to the northeast- 

 ern counties, appears to represent an overflow of the eastern hordes, or, per- 

 haps, the van of occupation, rather tliaii regularly established citizens. I have 

 seen them as far south as Brook Lake, ami as far west as Stehekin only: init 

 Mr. .Mian Brooks records a s])ecinicn from Cliilliwhack, in western British 

 Columbia. 



No. Sy. 



ALASKA HORNKI) LARK. 



A. O. \\ No. 474:1. Otocoris alpcsfris .nrcticola I )l)crlioJser. 

 Synonyms. Arctic IIokni:ii I. ark. r.\i.i.ii> Hoknkp Lark. Wixtkr 



L.VRK. 



\r>csciif'tinii of l\/<c form. Otocoris alf<rslris. — .Idiill male in brccdimj 

 pluiiiafic: \ narrow patch across fore-crown with ends curving laterally hack- 



