AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 11^ 



the sea coast, in flocks of from ten to twenty or more. They frequent 

 •sandy or marshy places where they can procure seeds of the various 

 weeds and grasses. When the snows cover their feeding grounds, they 

 quite frequently take to the country roads or visit farm yards where they 

 ■can procure food. They appear to be entirely a ground bird, and are 

 rarely seen perched even as high as a fence post. When alarmed the 

 whole flock arises in a body, with shrill whistles, and after circling about 

 .alight not far off. in this respect their behavior is 'different from that 

 when at their breeding grounds, at which time they will escape by hiding 

 rather than by flying. About the latter part of February or early March, 

 they leave us for the locality that is home for them. As the flocks go 

 northward they disintegrate, and one or two pairs will settle down in a 

 locality. Their manner, which during the winter is suspicious, is now 

 confiding and cheerful. Dr. Cooper says that in May and June the males 

 rise almost perpendicularly into the air until almost out of sight, and fly 

 around in an irregular circle, singing a sweet and varied song for several 

 minutes, when they descend nearly to the spot from which they 

 ascended. 



According to Audubon, these larks breed abundantly on the high and 

 desolate tracts that abound along the coast of Labrador. These rocks are 

 covered with large patches of moss and lichens, in the midst of these, 

 this ibird places her nest, disposed with so much care, and the mosses so 

 much'Tesembling the bird in hue, that the nests are not usually noticed. 

 When flushed from her nest she flutters away, feigning lameness so cun- 

 ningly as to almost deceive any one not on his guard. The male at once 

 joins her and both utter the most soft and plaintive notes of woe. The 

 nest is imbedded in moss to its edges and is composed of fine grasses cir- 

 cularly disposed and forming a bed about two inches thick. About a 

 week before they can fly, the young leave the nest and follow their parents 

 over these beds of mosses to be fed. They run nimbly and squat closely 

 at the first approach of danger. If observed and pursued, they open their 

 wings and flutter off with great celerity, it is said that in their breeding 

 grounds the male birds are very pugnacious, fluttering, biting and tumb- 

 ling over one another in the manner of English Sparrows. Their long, 

 sharp hind toes are very apt to inflict serious injury to one another. 

 There are many sub-species of these birds in different sections of the 

 country, and in localities w here two or more kinds are to be found, it is 

 very confusing, even to experienced ornithobgists to distinguish one from 

 another owing to the very slight differences between them. 



