150 NOTES ON THE 
last week of April, and are all gone beyond our borders by the 
Sth of May. Not later than the last week of August they 
return in force, as a general thing, when they remain till 
October 25th to November Ist, gradually diminishing in num- 
bers, however, after about the 25th of September. Indeed, 
there is not more than ten days good shooting, before the 
diminution of their numbers is visible. . 
As in the spring migration, they often elude any given local- 
ity in the fall, evidently being capricious as to the special line 
taken. Dr. Uvoslef reports them abundant during October, 
1884, in Fillmore county. And so from most sections of the 
entire field of my inquiries. 
In their flights over the plowed fields, where they mostly 
feed in autumn, they are a beautiful composite on wings, con- 
stantly changing hues of colors as they alternately exhibit the 
upper and the under parts in the rays of an October sun. 
Grasshoppers are their ordinary diet, but when they resort to 
the plowed fields it must be for larvee and other insects, as the 
former are chiefly obtained on the grass lands. 
We seldom see them when they are not mixed with other 
species to some extent at least. I know very little of their 
habits. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
Bill rather short; legs moderate; wings long; hind toe want- 
ing; tarsus covered before and behind with small, circular or 
hexagonal scales, upper parts brownish-black, with numerous 
small, circular and irregular spots of golden yellow, most 
numerous on the back and rump, and on the upper tail coverts, 
assuming the form of transverse bands generally; also with 
some spots of ashy-white; entire under parts black, with a 
brownish or bronzed lustre; under tail coverts mixed or barred 
with white; forehead, border of the back of the neck, under 
tail coverts and tibia white; axillary feathers cinereous; quills 
dark brown; middle portion of the shafts white, frequently 
extending slightly to the webs, and forming longitudinal stripes 
on the shorter quills; tail dark brown with numerous irregular 
bands of ashy-white, and frequently tinged with golden yellow; 
bill black; legs dark bluish-brown. 
Length, 9.50; wing, 7; tail, 2.50. 
Habitat, Arctic America. 
My correspondents all report it occurring in the different 
sections of the State much as above given. 
