42 ROCHESTER ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



Family ALAUDIDAE. Larks. 

 474. Otocoris alpestris (Linn.) Horned lark. 



Winter visitant ; fairly common. Nov. — Mar. Associates with 

 the prairie horned lark. 



474b. Otocoris alpestris praticola Hensh. Prairie horned lark. 



Resident ; abundant in spring and fall. Feb. 20 — Apr. 10 ; 

 Sept. 20 — Nov. 10. Not common in winter. Found in meadows 

 and plowed fields. Breeds Mar. 10 — Apr. 10. Second brood often 

 reared in May. Half-fledged young reported at Buffalo in February, 

 — see " Forest and Stream," 14, 489. Eggs, 4. Beneficial. 



Familj- CORVIDAE. Crows, jays, magpies, etc. 

 477. Cyanocitta cristata (Linn.) Blue jay. 



Resident ; common in wooded districts. In fall and winter often 

 visits orchards and cornfields. Nest, in a small evergreen tree, Apr. 

 I — May 10 ; eggs, 4-6. Injurious from its destruction of eggs and 

 young of insectivorous birds. 



486a. Corvus corax principalis Ridgw. Northern raven. 



Rare or accidental visitant. Skeleton found in Wayne Co., 1875, 

 is reported in the Auburn List. Specimen shot on Canandaigua 

 Lake about 1885 is in the possession of Dr. Lot D. Sutherland of 

 Canandaigua. 



488. Corvus americanus Aud. American crow. 



Resident ; abundant. In winter they roost in immense rook- 

 eries ; one near Canandaigua is frequented by many thousands ; by 

 day scattering over widely extended country. Nest, 15-70 feet from 

 the ground ; Apr. i — May 15 ; eggs, 4-6. Does much good in the 

 destruction of cut-worms, May beetles, grasshoppers, etc., but more 

 harm, not merely in injuring newly planted crops, ripening grain, 

 green peas, early apples, etc., but principally in destroying the eggs 

 and young of smaller insectivorous birds. 



Family ICTERIDAE. Blackbirds, orioles, etc. 

 494. Dolichonyx oryzivorus (Linn.) Bobolink. 



Summer resident ; common. May 4 — Sept. 15. Frequents 

 meadows in early summer ; in fall, grassy swamps. Here it does 

 not gather in the large flocks seen further south. Xest, on the 

 ground, in the thick grass ; May 20 — June 10 ; eggs 4-6. Beneficial 

 with us, from destruction of insects and weed seeds. 



