VOL. XIII,- 



PKOCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 625 



tells ; plentiful inland in summer, but migrate southward in the winter ; but I could 

 not learn any more of its natural history, its not being known to the natives near 

 the Albany Fort, where this specimen was shot. (Hutchins, MSS., observations on 

 Hudson Bay, 1782.) 



246. Anthus pensiivanicus. American Pipit, or Titlark. 



Abundant spring and fall migrant. Winnipeg: Transient visitor; 

 tolerably common (Hine). In considerable numbers along Mouse 

 Biver in September (Cones). Portage la Prairie: Abundant; autumn 

 visitor; I have not noted it in spring; arrives about September 20, 

 and remains until the end of October (Nash). At Pelly : September 

 15, 1881 (Macoun). Carberry : Abundant; migrant; Turtle Moun- 

 tain (Thomi^son). 



October 8, 1884: Pipits are here in much greater numbers than in 

 the spring, and are bustling about in the barnyards and pastures, first 

 attracting notice by their untiring repetitions of the note "■chepit, 

 chepiV Then, holding the attention by the remarkable habit they 

 have of wagging the tail unceasingly, whether flying, perching, or run- 

 ning on the ground ; they seem to be under some awful obligation to 

 keep on wagging, not their tails only, but the whole of the latter end. 

 The motion is absurdly excessive, and the birds look as though they 

 would stop it if they could. 



247. Anthus spragueii. Sprague's Pipit. Missouri Skylark. 



Common summer resident of the elevated prairies of the south and 

 west. Winnipeg : Eare (Hine). From Pembina Mountain westward 

 along the boundary to the second crossing of the Mouse Eiver; breeding 

 in great numbers; Turtle Mountains, Mouse River, etc. (Cones). Car- 

 berry: Abundant; summer resident (Thompson). 



On May 7, 1883, I noticed the Missouri Skylark, or Sky Jingler as 

 we used to call it. 



May 7, 1884: Have at last succeeded in collecting a skylark that I 

 knew to have been singing aloft. It appears to be Anthus spragueii 

 (identification subsequently indorsed by Dr. C. Hart Merriam). Male 

 adult: Length, 6;^; weight, 3:|; tail, 2^; beak, f ; toes, §; hind toe, J, 

 of which claw is about half; toes reach beyond the tail ; stomach full of 

 coleoptera. It differs from Baird's description as follows : It has 

 vibrissfB, the outer tail feathers not entirely white ; the outer toe not 

 quite free; first x^rimary not longest, but second and third are; tail 

 even, not emarginate; legs and bill not yellow, but flesh-colored. It 

 is an extremely shy bird, and for long I confounded it with the shore- 

 lark, whose song and habits on the wing are so similar. 



On May 10, I counted twelve skylarks singing far up in the sky, 

 during a 3-mile walk in the morning. 



May 13. Skylarks very numerous now, and in full song. 



On May 14, I watched a skylark that was singing on high with 

 Proc. N. M. 90 40 



