NOTE ON THE TITLARK 195 



their coverts edged with dull pale brown ; tail blackish, the central feathers 

 like the back, one to three of the lateral feathers, partly at least, white, the 

 outer often wholly white. Line over the eye, eyelids, and entire under parts 

 brownish-white, or pale ochrey- or buffy-brown (very variable in shade), 

 the aides of the throat and body and the breast spotted or screaked with 

 the color of the back. Bill blackish, pale at base below; feet brown. 

 Length, 6J-7 ; extent, 10J-11 ; wing, 3-3* ; tail, 2f-3 ; bill about 1| ; tarsus, f . 

 I have not examined uewly-fledged birds, which may be more streaky than 

 as above described. Well-feathered birds of both sexes, at all seasons, are 

 not distinguishable. The shade of the under parts is extremely uncertain , 

 varying from brownish-white to rich buffy-brown, and the amount of white 

 on the tail is equally variable. 



ME. J. A. ALLEN'S discovery of the breeding of this 

 species on the highest peaks of the mountains in Colo- 

 rado is the most interesting of the recent contributions to its 

 history, and enables us to speak of the Titlark as a resident 

 bird of the region now under consideration. However, in 

 neary all of the Colorado water-shed the bird is only a winter 

 visitant 5 it is common and generally distributed in suitable 

 places. Its habits are too well known to require any extended 

 notice in the present connection j I have already given the 

 results of my own observations in Labrador and other portions 

 of North America in some of my publications cited above, 

 notablv the " Birds of the Northwest". 



FIG. 28. Head and foot of Budytes 

 flava, a typical Motacilline. 



