876 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



rows. Both birds assist in incubation, which takes about fourteen 

 days. They must lay sometimes in February and March. April 24, 

 1878, Dr. Brayton shot, near Indianapolis, a number of Shore Larks, 

 among them two young birds about grown (Bulletin Nutt. Orn. Club, 

 1878, p. 189). 



Its food consists principally of seeds of different grasses, like those 

 of pigeon, foxtail and Hungarian (Setaria); also of those of different 

 species of Polygonum (bindweed, knotweed and smartweed), those of 

 the ragweeds (Ambrosia), pigweed (Chenopodium), etc. 



Broken kernels of oats and other grains have also been found in 

 their stomachs, evidently picked up in the roads and streets among 

 the droppings *of horses. During spring and summer, when small in- 

 sects abound, a portion of their food consists of young locusts and 

 grasshoppers, small beetles and their larvae, and hairless caterpillars, 

 and the young nestlings, at least, 'are fed on insect food. From an 

 economic point of view, all our Horned Larks must be considered as 

 useful birds, doing far more good than harm (Bendire, L. H. N., A. B., 

 II., p. 335). 



The little harm they do is more than balanced by the destruction 

 of weed seeds and of injurious insects. 



XXXVIII. FAMILY CORVID^E. CROWS, JAYS-, MAGPIES. 



a 1 . Tail not shorter than the short rounded wings. (Subfamily GARRTJLIN^E.) 

 b l . Tail much longer than wing; graduated for half its length; head not 



crested. PICA. 



b 2 Tail much longer than wing, not graduated for half its length. 



c 1 . Plumage chiefly blue; head with a conspicuous crest. CYANOCITTA. 108 

 c 2 . Plumage not blue; head not crested. PERISOREUS. 



a 2 . Tail much shorter than the long pointed wings. Subfamily CORVIN^E. 



d 1 . Plumage glossy black. CORVUS. 109 



SUBFAMILY GARJRULIN^E. MAGPIES AND JAYS. 

 108. GENUS CYANOCITTA STRICKLAND. 



*184. (477). Cyanocitta cristata (LINN.). 



Blue Jay. 



Adult. Conspicuously crested; above, purplish-blue; forehead and 

 irregular band around neck, black; wings and tail, blue, barred with 

 black; the greater coverts, secondaries and tail feathers, except middle 

 one, tipped with white; tail, much rounded. Below, pale gray; throat, 

 belly and crissum, whiter. 



