932 Eepoet of State Geologist. 



207. ('>37). Calcarius pictus (Swains,). 



Smith's Long-spur. 

 Synonym, Painted Longsi'ir. 



Outer tail feathers dusky at base; lower parts, deep buff; legs, yellow. 



"Male in Spring. — Top and sides of head, black; a line from bill 

 over the eyes, lores, lower and posterior border of the black cheeks, 

 ears (encircled by black); and a small patch in the nape, white; entire 

 under parts and extending round neck to nape (where it l)ounds 

 abruptly the black of head), buff or light cinnamon yellow; the under 

 tail coverts, paler; the inside of wings, white; feathers of upper surface, 

 black, edged with yellowish-gray; shoulders or lesser coverts, and the 

 greater, black; middle, white, forming a conspicuous patch; quills, 

 edged externally with white, this involving the whole outer web of 

 outermost primary; whole of outer and most of second tail feathers, 

 white; bill, dusky; lower mandible and legs, yellowish. Female. — The 

 markings of male faintly indicated, but the black and buff wanting; 

 head, above, brown, streaked centrally with paler; a narrow dark line 

 on each side of the throat, and brownish streaks across the jugulura, 

 and along sides of body; traces visible of the white marks of the head; 

 bill and feet, as in male." (Ridgway, 111., I, p. 243). 



Male, length, 6.40-6.50; wing, 3.60-3.70. Female, length, about 

 5.50-6.00; wing, 3.45-3.60. 



Eange. — Interior plains of North America, east to Indiana, from 

 Texas to Yukon and Mackenzie rivers. Breeds in north part of range. 

 Winters from southern Wisconsin and Kansas, southward. 



Nest, on ground, similar to last species. Bggs, 4-5; light clay, with 

 spots and lines of dark purplish-brown; size of those of C. lapponicus. 



Migrant; sometimes common in the vicinity of Lake Michigan; of 

 unusual occurrence elsewhere; rare. Nelson observed this species as a 

 common migrant on the borders of Lake County, Indiana, where even 

 seventy-iive were observed in a flock (Brayton, Trans. Ind. Hort. Soc, 

 1879, p. 121). 



In the fall of 3 896 a flock of fifty was seen in Cook County, 111., 

 October 3, and others were seen October 11 (Tallman). Mr. F. M. 

 Woodruff informs me there are four specimens in the collection of the 

 Field Columbian Museum, collected at Worth, 111., May 3, 1894. At 

 the same place, Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., found them quite common in a 

 patch of meadow land, April 27, 1893. The spring of 1896 they were 

 first seen near Chicago, April 16, where Mr. Eliot Blackwelder saw 



