316 XE8T8 AND EGOS OF 



The Shore Lark, the true alpcstris, breeds in northeastern North America and 

 Greenland, wintering in Eastern United States. It breeds on the coasts of New- 

 foundland and Labrador, in the Province of Keewatin. Dominion of Canada, and on 

 both shores of Hudson Bay. It also inhabits northern portions of the Old World. 

 The common name is derived from the tufts of black feathers over each ear, which 

 at will the bird has the power of erecting like the so-called "horns" of some owls. 

 In the Eastern States, during the winter months, flocks varying in size from a dozen 

 to those of a hundred or more, may be seen frequenting open plains, old fields, dry 

 shores of bays, and the banks of rivers. As there are a number of geographical 

 varieties of the Horned Lark, the greatest uncertainty has always attended their 

 identification, even by experts, and the breeding and winter ranges of the various 

 subspecies do not yet seem to be clearly defined. This was the species found by 

 Audubon breeding on the low, mossy and sheltered hills, along the dreary coast of 

 Labrador. In the midst of the mosses and lichens that covered the rocks the bird 

 Imbedded its nest, which is composed of fine grasses, arranged in a circular form 

 and lined with the feathers of grouse and other birds. The eggs, deposited early in 

 July, are four or five in number, and are described by Audubon as marked with bluish. 

 as well as brown spots. In his last great work the late Major Bendire describes a 

 set of three eggs taken near Okak, Labrador, on June 21, 1892. The ground color is 

 greenish-gray, somewhat darker than the rest of eggs of our Horned Larks. They 

 are profusely blotched and spotted with dark olive, olive-buff and lighter shades of 

 pale lavender. They measure .98x.66, .95x.68, and .87x.64 inches. European eggs are 

 grayish-white, spotted with brownish-lavender or lilac-gray. 



474o. PALLID HORNED LARK. Otocoris alpcstris Icucolccma (Coues.) Geog. 

 Dist. Interior of British America and Alaska, south in winter to Western United 

 States. 



This paler northwestern form of the Shore Lark breeds from Alaska southward, 

 east of the Rocky Mountains, nearly to the United States boundary. The nest is 

 built in a depression of the ground, and sunk a little below the surface, usually 

 under a tuft of grass; it is well cupped and woven in a circular form of old grasses, 

 lined with hairs. The eggs are three or four, grayish or pale olive, finely and thickly 

 sprinkled with olive-brown. Average size .91x.65. 



4746. PRAIRIE HORNED LARK. Otocoris alpcstris praticola Hensh. Geog. 

 Dist. Upper Mississippi Valley and region of the Great Lakes to New England, 

 breeding eastward to Northeastern New York and Western Massachusetts, New 

 Hampshire and Vermont, migrating south to South Carolina, Texas, etc. 



The birds of this race may be distinguished from the typical alpcstris by their 

 smaller size and paler colors. In the northern half of the Mississippi Valley it 

 breeds abundantly, and as far south as Eastern Kansas, where Colonel Goss notes 

 It as common and abundant. It begins laying the last of March. The Prairie 

 od Lark breeds in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin' and Minnesota. 

 In Northwestern Ohio young birds have been taken in May. Mr. Ernest W. Vickers 

 found a nest of the Prairie Horned Lark on April 17, 1895. When first discovered 

 It contain- ,,jng and one egg which was hatched the day following. Prof. 



E. L. Moseley Informed him that this lark bred about Sandusky. Mr. James E. Gould 

 found young birds near Blacklick, Franklin county, July 14, 1893. So far, this 

 makes the breeding range of the Prairie Horned Lark in Ohio extend from the central 

 portion northward east and west. It doubtless breeds farther south, but I have no 



