11^6 BIRDS OF OHIO. 



the summer, particularly the breeding season, the regular 

 diet of weed seeds is supplemented with insect larvae. 



Since these birds may usually be rather closely approached 

 during the winter when they associate together, and always 

 head into th'e wind; they 'may be readily distinguished by 

 the yellow line above the eye in the true Horned Lark, and 

 by the white line, with no trace of yellow, in Prairie Horned 

 Lark. Both have yellow or yellowish throats. Horned Lark 

 the brighter and clearer. The form hoyti is as large as al- 

 pestris, but is lighter than praticola, and with no yellow over 

 the eye. 



173. (474k.) Otocoris alpestris hoyti Bishop. — . 



Hoyt Horned Lark. 



Synonyms: Otocoris alpestris leucolema. 



Oberholser, A Review of the Larks of the Genus Otocoris, Pro- 

 ceedings of the U. S. National Museum, XXIV, No. 1271, 812. 



The specimen above referred to, captured at Wooster, 

 one in the Oberlin College collection, and at least three in 

 the collection of the Ohio State University, are all of which 

 I have any record. A critical examination of local collec- 

 tions may reveal others. The recent elaboration of this 

 subspecies makes it impossible to say what its status in our 

 state is. From the small amount of evidence I would infer 

 that it is a winter visitor with the Horned Lark, ranging 

 into the state from the north-west. 



Family Corvid^. Crows, Jays, Magpies, etc. 



The food habits of the three representatives of this family 

 which occur in Ohio are given under the species. 



174. (477.) Cyanocitta cristata (Linn,). 125 



Blue Jay. 

 Synonyms: Cyanurus cristatus, Cyanura cristata, Corvus cris- 

 tatus, Garrulus cristatus. 

 Jay Bird. 



Kirtland, Ohio Geol. Surv., 1838, 162. 



Blue Jay is a familiar and common resident throughout 

 the state except in the south-eastern portion. He is usually 



