564 THE BIRDS OF MANITOBA THOMPSON. 



the ardor of his devotion to the demure little Quakeress by his side 

 demands a more ambitious demonstration; so, ceasing to sing, he 

 strenuously endeavors to associate with the white piling cumuli, and 

 having soared, apparently, near enough to be uncomfortably damp, 

 while to us he appears a mere speck, he floats on vibrating wings, 

 singing a song composed of a single note, oft repeated with lesseuiug 

 intervals; it may be suggested by the syllables tnclc, trick, trick, tricky 

 trick, trick, tr-^ rr-r-rr-rrr,'^ the notes at last all runniug together 

 like the drumming of a partridge. During this performance he has 

 lost much of his altitude, but at once proceeds to regain it by a series 

 of bounds before again repeating the song. This alternate soaring 

 and singing is usually kept up for over ten minutes, then the musi- 

 cian, having exhausted his energy, suddenly stops and dashes down 

 with one frightful headlong pitch, right into the grass. Upon going 

 to the spot one is surprised to find he has not been dashed to atoms 

 by the violence of the fall, but springs up, uttering his usual call note, 

 and flits further off, again to settle on the ground. 



The whole of this performance will be seen to resemble very closely 

 the serenade of the Missouri Skylark, the chief difference being that 

 the Shore Lark is inferior in music and staying powers, and also in that 

 the latter remains more nearly over one particular place. Another 

 point of dissimilarity is, the Shore Lark sings chiefly on the ground, 

 while the skylark confines his effusions almost entirely to his moments 

 of physical elevation. 



The Shore Lark is the earliest of the prairie singers to begin in the 

 morning, being even a little earlier than the Meadow Lark; it com- 

 mences before there is any sign of dawn, and at night it continues until 

 the plains are enveloped in perfect gloom. 



But singing will not multiply the species, ami the two little "Quak- 

 ers," as they are often called, set about nesting ere yet the snow is 

 gone. Not seeking the shelter of bush or bank, but right out on the 

 open prairie, on the level, they scrape a hole about an inch deep, then 

 line it with grass and perhaps a feather or two from their mortal enemy, 

 the hawk. In this are laid four or five brown eggs, freckled all over. 

 This species has a curious habit, in common with the Bay wing Bunting, 

 of running on the road just before one and flying a little further on 

 when overtaken. The Shore Lark does not usually repeat the maneuver 

 more than twice or thrice, and frequently it suddenly squats and remains 

 so until nearly within reach, when it springs up uttering its triple call- 

 note and flies away to one side. 



My observations incline me to believe that in Manitoba the species 

 raises two broods each season. 



157a. Otocoris alpestris. Shore Lark. 



Fall migrant. Specimens of the true alpestris were taken by myself 

 at Rat Portage and at Carberry in the fall (Thompson). Severn House : 

 It appears common (Murray). 



