THE PRAIRIE HORNED LARK. 



203 



Perhaps the birds from northern Ohio are reinforced from Ontario and be- 

 yond. Those in central Ohio are augmented very considerably by northern 

 visitors of both species. 



A "feeding lot," or field where fodder is daily dealt out to the stock, 

 is a typical resort for a winter troop of Horned Larks. Here they gather 

 by dozens and scores, and sometimes to the number of two or three hundred, 

 and feed upon the weed seed which the cattle have threshed out with their 

 hooves, or upon the undigested matter of droppings. If the observer moves 

 toward a flock in the open field the birds may skulk and steal away in every 

 direction, or else, having taken plaintive counsel, take suddenly to wing and 

 fly off in a great straggling company. 



Taken in Colorado. 



Photo by E. R. Warren. 



A WINTER TROOP OF HORNED LARKS. 



Once, during the winter of 1901-02, by the aid of a friendly rail fence 

 and a convenient tree, I crept upon and studied closely a flock of two hun- 

 dred Horned Larks (alpestris, a. hoyti and a. praticola). They were glean- 

 ing industriously near the edge of a large feeding lot a mile or so west of 

 town. The mercury stood at zero, and the birds had need of industry to 

 keep up the inner fires. Twice during my watch the entire flock was seized 

 with a sense of instant danger and rose as one bird. After circling about 

 once or twice they settled again, apparently reassured. I could not believe 

 that I was the cause of offense, since they had already become somewhat ac- 



