tS^o.J DwiGttT on the Horned Lar&s. id.t 



son, overlapping and extending their ranges in a very puzzling 

 manner. I am inclined to the belief that the mountain races 

 usually descend to the lower plains, and besides are often urged 

 southward by severity of weather or lack of food supply. Leuco- 

 Icema and alpestris appear to leave entirely their summer haunts ; 

 praticola, and arenlcola move south over only a part of their 

 summer range ; giraudi, rubea and strigata appear to be chiefly 

 resident ; and material is still wanting to determine the range of 

 the other forms. 



The yellowing and darkening effect of age upon some of the older 

 skins, especially of young birds, is an element of danger to the stu- 

 dent of limited series, and is well illustrated by some young areni- 

 cola which might be easily mistaken for praticola, were it not for 

 later material from the same spot. 



To all those fellow members of the A. O. U. who have placed 

 material at my disposal my thanks are hereby extended, especially 

 to Mr. Robert Ridgway for the loan of type specimens, to Mr. 

 Wm. Brewster for specimens of merrilli and adusta, and to Mr. 

 J. A. Allen who has aided me with suggestions and advice. 



i. Otocoris alpestris {Linn.). Horned Lark. 



Habitat. — Northern Europe, Greenland, Newfoundland, 

 Labrador, and Hudson's Bay region ; southward in winter into 

 eastern United States to about Lat. 35 . 



The Horned Lark of northeastern North America is charac- 

 terized at all seasons by its large size, dark colors and yellow 

 eyebrows. The nape, shoulders, and rump are of a pink-vina- 

 ceous cinnamon ; the white below, dull. In autumn it appears 

 darker and less obviously streaked above, owing to the longer, 

 grayish or pinkish edging and tips of the feathers ; the black of 

 the head is much obscured by huffy or yellowish tips, that of the 

 breast less so ; the yellow is much brighter, occasionally showing 

 faintly below the jugular crescent, and often suffusing the whole 

 of the upper parts, particularly the head. Young of the year are 

 browner and more spotted, but cannot be distinguished with cer- 

 tainty from the adults. The amount and intensity of the yellow 

 is purely individual, and independent of age, sex or season, but 

 in this bird alone of the group it is always present. 



