150 NOTES ON THE 



last week of April, and are all gone beyond our borders by the 

 5th of May. Not later than the last week of August they 

 return in force, as a general thing, when they remain till 

 October 25th to November 1st, gradually diminishing in num- 

 bers, however, after about the 25th of September. Indeed, 

 there is not more than ten days good shooting, before the 

 diminution of their numbers is visible. 



As in the spring migration, they often elude any given local- 

 ity in the fall, evidently being capricious as to the special line 

 taken. Dr. Hvoslef reports them abundant during October, 

 1884, in Fillmore county. And so from most sections of the 

 entire field of my inquiries. 



In their flights over the plowed fields, where they mostly 

 feed in autumn, they are a beautiful composite on wings, con- 

 stantly changing hues of colors as they alternately exhibit the 

 upper and the under parts in the rays of an October sun. 

 Grasshoppers are their ordinary diet, but when they resort to 

 the plowed fields it must be for larvae and other insects, as the 

 former are chiefly obtained on the grass lands. 



We seldom see them when they are not mixed with other 

 species to some extent at least. I know very little of their 

 habits. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Bill rather short; legs moderate; wings long; hind toe want- 

 ing; tarsus covered before and behind with small, circular or 

 hexagonal scales, upper parts brownish-black, with numerous 

 small, circular and irregular spots of golden yellow, most 

 numerous on the back and rump, and on the upper tail coverts, 

 assuming the form of transverse bands generally; also with 

 some spots of ashy white; entire under parts black, with a 

 brownish or bronzed lustre; under tail coverts mixed or barred 

 with white; forehead, border of the back of the neck, under 

 tail coverts and tibia white; axillary feathers cinereous; quills 

 dark brown; middle portion of the shafts white, frequently 

 extending slightly to the webs, and forming longitudinal stripes 

 on the shorter quills; tail dark brown with numerous irregular 

 bands of ashy-white, and frequently tinged with golden yellow; 

 bill black; legs dark bluish-brown. 



Length, 9.50; wing, 7; tail, 2.50. 



Habitat, Arctic America. 



My correspondents all report it occurring in the different 

 sections of the State much as above given. 



