^°*'^16 ] MousLEY, Breeding of the Prairie Horned Lark. 283 



How lucky I was will be gathered from a perusal of the following 

 little time table as it were. 



1915 

 April 14 First set of eggs taken at 2 p.m. 



15 Larks started second nest, and at 4.30 p.m. the hole was 

 excavated, the female being at work upon it when flushed. 

 It was on the top of a little mound with no cattle 

 droppings near, which had been the case with the first 

 nest, from which it was distant 60 yards. 



16 12 A.M. Five pieces of cow-chips laid in place on south 

 side of hole, also one piece of lichen. 



4.30 P.M. Eleven more chips added. 



17 12.30 A.M. Nine more chips added, also foundation and 

 rim of nest just started. 



5 P.M. Foundation and rim of nest well advanced, but 

 no more chips added. 



18 12 A.M. Nest full of plant down and flower heads of 

 pearly everlasting not yet padded into place. 



5.30 P.M. Plant down now all padded into place form- 

 ing a most beautiful nest. 



19 11.30 A.M. One egg in nest, both birds noted in field 

 but at some distance away. 



20 11.30 a.m. Two eggs in nest, female left on my ap- 

 proach and flew away. 



21 11.30 A.M. Three eggs in nest, got quite close before 

 female flushed off. 



22 11.30 A.M. Four eggs in nest, the female again only 

 flushing off at my near approach. 



The four eggs were practically counterparts of the first set, being 

 minutely and evenly speckled all over, and somewhat zoned about 

 the larger end. In the above instance it will be seen that not a 

 vestige of building material was brought to the nest until the whole 

 of the 25 pieces of cow-chips, and one of lichen had been laid in 

 place, but pending further data it would hardly be wise to assume 

 that this is invariably the case. 



The next nest to come under my observation was found on April 

 21 by flushing the female from a set of four slightly incubated eggs. 

 This nest was situated on a high sloping hillside about 1| miles 



