LARKS: Family Alaudidae [ 403 ] 



published. It is a common breeding bird of the open fields in suitable 

 localities throughout western Oregon, and we have found it to be par- 

 ticularly abundant in the rolling open hills of Polk and Yamhill Counties 

 and in the great, flat, pasture-land area of Linn, Lane, and Benton Coun- 

 ties. It is equally abundant in the rocky grasslands east of Medford, 

 Jackson County. We have taken many winter specimens along the 

 Columbia River, particularly in the area between Boardman, Irrigon, and 

 Cecil, on dates ranging from September 15 to January 31; and Jewett has 

 a bird taken on February n, 1932., at Abert Lake, Lake County. 



The species is scarce on the coast, though we have found it in Curry 

 (November 2.2.), Coos (February 16-17), Tillamook (February 7), and 

 Clatsop (September 2.2.) Counties, and it is probable that more time spent 

 in the open valleys of the coast would result in more records. The area 

 of open pasture land is slowly increasing as land is cleared and put into 

 cultivation, and such changes are frequently followed by an influx of 

 birds that find the new conditions to their liking. 



Mating begins in January or early February, and by March i the winter- 

 ing flocks are broken up into mated pairs or trios in which two males 

 are still contesting for the favor of a female. During the mating and 

 incubation period, the males habitually perch on fence posts, where, 

 with the tufts of black feathers erected like two tiny horns, they sing a 

 tinkling little song that may be likened to a whispered song of the 

 meadowlark. At times the song is given on the wing. Two and pos- 

 sibly three broods are raised each season, and eggs can be found from 

 March 15 to June 4, or possibly later. The only two recent nests known 

 to us were discovered by Elmer Griepentrog (ms.) near Salem on May 2.1 

 and 2.7, 192.9. Each contained four eggs. The funny spotted youngsters 

 begin to be a conspicuous element of the roadside fauna in May and June, 

 and from that time on flocks of the birds may be found. They are perhaps 

 family flocks at first, though they gradually increase in size as the season 

 advances until by fall dozens or even hundreds of individuals are asso- 

 ciated together. 



Dusky Horned Lark: 



Otocoris alpestris merrilli Dwight 



DESCRIPTION. "Similar to strigata, but larger, grayer above, streaking of back 

 blacker and back of neck paler, pinkish instead of ruddy brown; less yellowish 

 below; eyebrow usually yellowish. Male: wing 4. 07, tail 1.80, bill from nostril .35. 

 Female: wing 3.71, tail 1.50, bill from nostril .34." (Bailey) Nest and eggs: Same as 

 those of Pallid Horned Lark. 



DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds from British Columbia and Idaho south through 

 Washington and Oregon to northern California and Nevada. Winters south to 

 California. In Oregon: Common permanent resident found in every county east of 

 Cascades. 



