1SS4.I IIknsuaw o?i tlir North Amcricav S/iorr J.ark^. ^59 



from Montana, Dakota, and Colorado, which have been called 

 leucohv))ia^ bcin<;j veferrablc to tlie next form. The only region 

 where the specimens at hand absolutely prove that it breeds is 

 Alaska, where it was taken by both Mr. Nelson and Mr. Turner. 

 Without doubt, ' however, it inhabits, in summer, much of the 

 interior of British America, for in early fall and in winter it 

 occurs all along the line of our northern frontier, from the eastern 

 slope of the Sierras (apparently not crossing the mountains) to 

 Eastern Dakota. It is, in fact, a form of the interior plains of 

 high latitude. How far south it goes in winter cannot now be 

 stated. I found it to be abundant at Cai'son, Nevada, in Novem- 

 ber- Specimens attest its occurrence at that season in Utah, Col- 

 orado, and in Kansas. 



4. Arenicola. — As compared with leucolcema^ its nearest 

 ally, it is smaller and, while nearly as pale, always shows consid- 

 erable yellow on the throat. Leiicolcema appears to be even 

 paler in fall than in summer ; the reverse is true of the present 

 form, as indeed of all the others which have the yellow on the 

 throat and about the head more diffused. This form inhabits the 

 Great Interior Basin, extending from the eastern border of the 

 plains to the Sierra Nevada, and from somewhere about the line 

 of our northern border to Mexico. Specimens are at hand from 

 all portions of the area mentioned, and they are found to present 

 essentially the same characteristics. Specimens from Montana, 

 Dakota, etc., are somewhat larger than those from farther south, 

 in Arizona and New Mexico. Those from the last-named sec- 

 tions are also brighter and display a rufous cast of coloration 

 which, in some individuals, appi'oaches true chrysolcema of 

 Mexico. This is simply what is to be expected. Towards the 

 north arenicola grades into leucolceina^ and in the south into 

 chrysolcema. There are no summer specimens from localities 

 within our territory farther south than Santa Fe ; and it is proba- 

 ble that summer residents in the extreme south of Arizona and 

 New Mexico would be found to be referrable to chrysolcema. 



The O. occidentalis of McCall has usually been cited by 

 authors as applying to this interior form. Thei"e seems to me, 

 however, to be more than a reasonable doubt as to the bird 

 McCall actually had in hand. He says (Proc. Phila. Acad., 

 1S51, p. 3iS) : "-The chief difference between this bird [/.c, his 

 occidentalism and the young of the vShore Lark, is in the different 



