1916 j General Notes. 435 



Incubation Period of the Homed Lark. — In connection with her 

 school work, and with the help of the children under her instruction, the 

 undersigned has studied the incubation period of the Horned Lark {Olocoris 

 alpeslris leucolcema) during the Spring just passed. The nest was within 

 a few feet of the school house: it was discovered on May 4, and contained 

 three eggs, and on May 5, it contained four eggs, after which date no more 

 were laid. 



On the morning of May 16, two eggs were completely hatched, and two 

 were pipped, and by evening of the same day, all the eggs were fully 

 hatched. 



During the period of incubation the weather was most inclement, with 

 frosts, snow, hail, and rain. If it be held that the first egg was laid on 

 May 2 (a highly probable assumption), and that there was more or less 

 incubation effect during the time of laying, the period of incubation may 

 be estimated as being between 11 and 14 days: it was certainly not more 

 than 11 (plus) days for the last egg. — Hazel MacDonald, Dacono, Colo. 



Crows Destroying Quail. — According to my observation during the 

 last twenty years, crows destroy tremendous numbers of the eggs and 

 nestlings of our useful song birds. In fact, in my opinion, this destruction 

 more than offsets what good they do in destroying injurious insects or 

 vermin. I had never, however, until this past winter heard of Crows 

 destroying Quail {Colinus virginianus virqinianus) , except when young, 

 but a neighbor living near my place at Flowerfield, Suffolk County, Long 

 Island, has reported that late last winter when there was a considerable 

 fall of snow which covered the ground for ten days or two weeks, a flock 

 of thirteen quail which wintered on his premises were all killed by crows. 

 He frequently saw a considerable number of Crows following the bevy of 

 quail, harassing them and tiring them out, and finally killing and eating 

 them. — John Lewis Childs, Floral Park, N. Y. 



Cassin's Sparrow in Colorado. — This species (Peuccea cassini) is 

 rather uncommon in Colorado, and so far as the writer knows, the previous 

 records are all from the plains eastward and southward of Denver. The 

 only specimens heretofore secured by the writer, were taken at Sable, Colo., 

 Aug. 16, 1913, and at Henderson, Colo., Aug. 24, 1913, the first named 

 place being about twenty miles in an air line from the foot-hills of the 

 Rockies, and this record is perhaps the nearest for this species to the 

 mountains of this State. The writer recently secured (on June 4, 1916) a 

 male in breeding condition, in Garver Canyon, about eight miles west of 

 _ Sedalia, Colo., at an altitude of 7000 feet. If this species has not passed 

 undetected heretofore in the foot-hills west of Denver, the present record 

 would make it appear as if the species were latterly making its way west- 

 ward into the mountains.— W. H. Bergtold, Denver, Colo. 



