1890.] DwiGHT on the Horned Lark*. I £53 



10. Otocoris alpestris merrilli, subsp nov. Dusky Horned 



Lark. 



Habitat. — Eastern Oregon, Washington, and British Colum- 

 bia, between the Cascade and Rocky Mountains ; southward in 

 winter into Nevada and California. 



Subsp. Char. — Larger, more broadly streaked above, and blacker than 

 strigata, with less yellow about the head and throat, the nape pinker. 



Adult male in breeding plumage (No. 19,516, Coll. Wm. Brewster. Ft. 

 Klamath, Oregon, July l, 1SS7) : — Back dark sepia brown, the feathers 

 edged with pinkish gray; back of head, nape, shoulders, and rump-hand 

 vinaceous-cinnamon, the color extending to the sides of the neck and into 

 the white of the breast below the black jugular patch, and faintly along 

 the sides and flanks, which are streaked with dusky; loral stripe from bill 

 to middle of ear coverts (where it is widest and curves downward;, fore 

 part of crown, 'horns', and large jugular patch, uniform black; posterior 

 portion of ear coverts dusky ; band on forehead, stripe over eye and rest of 

 lower parts white ; eyebrow tinged with yellow; chin bright primrose 

 yellow; wings dark like the back, the quills edged with grayish, the outer 

 web of the first primary white-edged; tail black, two outer feathers white- 

 edged externally and two central feathers brown, darkest at tip, and 

 passing into the color of the rump at their base. Bill, plumbeous black, 

 lower mandible pale buffy at base. Feet black. Wing, 103.4 mm. 

 (4.07 in.); tail. 71. 1 mm. (2.80 in. J; tarsus, 21.6 mm. (.85 in.); hill from 

 nostril. 8.9 mm. (.35 in.). 



Adult female in breeding plumage. (No. 19,538, Coll. Wm. Brewster, 

 Ft. Klamath. Oregon. May 23, 1887) : — Above broadly streaked with deep 

 sepia brown, the feathers edged with pinkish gray, head more narrowly, 

 and nape but slightly, streaked: nape, etc., paler than in male, the shoul- 

 ders largely dusky ; black jugular patch small and ill-defined; no black 

 cap back of forehead, and loral stripe only indicated bv dusky; chin 

 tinged with primrose yellow; eyebrows and lower parts white. Wins;. 

 94.5 mm. (3.72 in.) ; tail. 63.5 mm. (2.50 in.) ; tarsus, 19. 1 mm. (.75 in.) ; 

 bill from nostril, 8.6 mm. (.34 in.). 



Male in autumn plumage (No. 18,857, Coll. Wm. Brewster, Ft. Klamath. 

 Oregon, Sept., 13, 1SS7) : — Similar to breeding plumage, but softer, 

 grayer, and pinker, pinkish gray edging of the feathers obscuring the 

 dark color along the shafts as well as the white forehead and black cap; 

 buffy tips cloud the other black areas, and the breast is clouded with 

 dusky spotting below the jugular patch. 



Female in autumn plumage (No. 18,852, Coll. Wm. Brewster, Ft. Kla- 

 math, Oregon, Oct. 26. 1887) : — Similar to breeding plumage, but softer, 

 grayer, and pinker; grayish wash across breast obscurely streaked. 



Young in first plumage ( $ , No. 19,524, Coll. Wm. Brewster, Ft. 

 Klamath. Oregon, July t, 1887) : — [Described as slrigata, Auk, Vol. 

 V, i83S, p. 260.] Above brownish black * * * conspicuously varie- 



