°'897 J KxiGHT, The Homed Larks of Maine. '\'l % 



County, in the spring of 1892 or 1893 by Prof. A. L. Lane, in 

 whose collection it nov/ is. Another seeming male was taken 

 near Monson, Piscataquis County, by Wallace Homer and is at 

 present in his collection. This gives a total of twelve specimens 

 from six localities, and is evidence enough to prove the regular 

 occurrence of praticola in the State as a visitor in late winter and 

 early spring. The chances are that a majority if not all the birds 

 in the flock seen by Mr. Mead were of this subspecies. The 

 nearest to the coast at which it is positively known to occur is 

 Bucksport, situated on the Penobscot River, and consequently we 

 may safely call these interior specimens. 



I have seen only nine examples of alpestris from interior local- 

 ities. Six were from Monson, Piscataquis County, and were 

 sent to me by Wallace Homer. One of these was in the flesh, 

 and as it was taken the first week in May I can cite it as a speci- 

 men taken at the latest date in the spring on which I have ever 

 known the species to occur. A specimen in the collection of 

 George A. Boardman of Calais, Washington County, one from A. 

 R. Pike of Auburn, and one taken near Lewiston, Androscoggin 

 County, by E. E. Johnson, are all the interior taken specimens 

 which have come to my knowledge. I have personally examined 

 all the specimens above recorded. 



\\'ith the above evidence we may safely assert that praticola is 

 the predominating form of the interior, in the spring at least. 

 Whether it breeds or not I am unable to say, but at present it 

 seems to have been taken only in the month of March. Although 

 Horned Larks have been seen near Bangor and elsewhere in the 

 late fall, I have been unable to learn of any fall specimens from 

 the State being preserved in any collections, and consequently 

 would not care to express an opinion regarding the identity of 

 the birds that occur in fall. 



As regards coast specimens of alpestris, Mr. Norton informs me 

 that he has in his collection a number of Cumberland County 

 specimens, and as he has been looking for praticola in vain near 

 Westbrook, Portland, and Scarboro, the chances are that it occurs 

 there rarely if at all. He informs me that Mr. Rackliff of Spruce 

 Head, Knox County, has also been looking for praticola (at his 

 request) but in vain so far. 



