iSgi.J LoOMis on Birds of Chester County, South CaroUua. ch 



1886-87 to stiiciy anew the birds of this locality. The result of this inves- 

 tigation showed lliat pratirola, one of the newly described races, was at 

 least an occasional visitant. With the view of determining the precise 

 status of this subspecies, as well as oi alpestris proper (the style currentlv 

 believed to occur in upper South Carolina), systematic observations were 

 made through the three following winters, but instead of finding alfestrh, 

 as had been confiiienlly expected at the outset, only fraticola was dis- 

 covered. The appearance of Mr. Ridgway's 'Manual,' with its broadened 

 characterization of the latter form, further disclosed the fact that a series 

 of measurements taken at intervals during the decade previous to 18S6 

 were typical of fra/icola, and that alpesfris had never been seciu-ed. 

 The uniformly small size of these examples had attracted my attention 

 from the outset. 



The past three winters were exceptionally mild throughout this region, 

 and therefore apparently inauspicious for the occurrence of Prairie Horned 

 Larks. However, the continuous effort put forth developed them in un- 

 expected numbers. The earliest arrivals each year were noted during the 

 last week of November, their coming being coincident with a colder term. 

 Through the ensuing two months they were constantly present, and 

 straggling bands remained until the close of February. During December 

 and January the changes in temperature which occurred, though not 

 extreme, were accompanied by marked fluctuations in abundance — the 

 cold waves re-enforcing, and the warm ones diminishing their ranks. 

 On several occasions an increase took place when there was no specially 

 noteworthy fall in the mercury, but cold spells were prevailing in the 

 northwest. While the periods of greatest abundance have been during 

 the severest stresses of weather (as in December, 1S76, and January, 1877, 

 when the snow lay on the ground for the longest time in my remem- 

 brance), the last three seasons have demonstrated that these birds are not 

 uncommon here during the mildest winters, and that their presence is 

 not dependent upon extreme incle'mency in the immediate vicinity. The 

 companies in which they congregate have varied in extent, the past three 

 winters, from little squads of half-a-dozen to flocks of above a hundred, 

 the average being from twenty to thirty. In former years the gatherings 

 have not differed materially in size, except in January, 1877, when a single 

 assemblage of several thousand was met with after the snow had disap- 

 peared. 



In recording the experiences of the previous winter in 'The Auk' for 

 April, 18S8, mention was made of the fact of the great excess in number 

 of females. The subsequent two years have exhibited a similar pre- 

 ponderance — the males secured being less than twenty per cent of the 

 total of females. 



The particular attention paid of late to these Horned Larks has further 

 revealed that they are extremely partial to certain restricted localities, and 

 that considerable territory might be examined without their presence 

 beino detected, except when transient parties were passing overhead from 

 one rendezvous to another. Each year these favored situations have been 



