65 



killed a siugle female of australis. Next, one frosty moruiug about the 

 middle of December, I saw a single bird which I failed to secure. On 

 the 3d of January, 1874:, we had a severe snow-storm, and the nest 

 morning I found a large flock of Shore-Larks {Eremopkila) flying about 

 a piece of plowed ground below the house from which the wind had 

 blown the snow. On going down to examine the flock, I found five or 

 six Leucostictes among them. I shot one, sitephrocotis, and at the report 

 of the gun the others separated from the flock of Shore-Larks and dis- 

 appeared in the distance. Li the course of the day, two other Leucos- 

 tictes joined the flock of EremopMlas, one of which (So. 1764)* I killed. 

 I also shot from this flock three Plectroi)hanes lapponicus, the only ones 

 seen in the Territory, and one P. maccou-nii. Soon after this I learned 

 that these birds (Leucostictes) were daily seen in the town of Colo- 

 rado Springs, and on going up there saw them myself. Every morn- 

 ing they came, usually only one or two at a time, to j)ick np 

 crumbs in the door-yard, and fearlessly ventured on the porch for 

 seeds that fell from a canary-cage hung there; indeed, so tame 

 ■were they that they would pick seeds at my very feet as I dropped 

 them from my hand. During two days that I remained in town 

 I caught five alive under a common flour-sieve, and, after leaving, 

 others were caught in the same manner by a friend, and sent to me at 

 the ranch. By the 20th of March, all these birds had disappeared at 

 Colorado Springs ; but, about the last of March, my sister, returning 

 from a visit to Canon City, iuformed me that they were very abundant 

 at that place, but when I went down there on the 12th of April none 

 were to be seen, and had it not been for the great storm which began 

 on the 15th I should not have seen any more this year. I was camping 

 in a 'shanty' four miles from town, and, after being snowed np for four 

 days, forced my way into town on horseback, and lodged with a 

 friend. The next morning [ discovered a small flock of Leucostictes on 

 the graveled walk before the house, and by noon this flock had increased 

 to the number of probably a thousand individuals. By this time I had 

 managed to borrow a gun, and in three or four hours had killed no less 

 than three hundred and fifty, when I desisted. Fifteen and twenty were 

 often killed at a single discharge, and at one time twenty-eight were 

 killed with one barrel. My friend followed me about with a piece of 

 board upon which he gathered the birds as I killed them. They were 

 gathered into one large flock, aud at the discharge of the gun would rise 

 from the ground like a flock of Shore-Larks, all chirping and whistling, 

 and after whirling a few times in the air would alight again, generally 

 upon a tree or fence, whence they would flock down to the ground. I 

 have since learned that this flock remained about town several days, 

 until the snow disappeared, when they left as suddenly as they came. 



'' I am informed that these birds are common in winter in the mount- 

 ain-towns, flocking into the streets and door-yards in stormy weather, 

 and disappearing when the snow does. I think that their unusual abund- 

 ance at the base of the mountains this winter was caused by storms in 

 the mountains. In May, an acquaintance sent me two skins (Nos. 1633 

 and 1599) from Twin Lakes, showing that they are found in the mount- 

 ains loug after they disappear below. 1 have just returned from a trip 

 to the Wet Mountain branch of the Snowy range, where I expected to 

 find australis, and perhaps its eggs, but was unsuccessful. I wrote you 

 last year about seeing one of the genus on Pike's Peak. 



* This specimen was uot sent me by Mr. Aiken, consequently I cannot say what species 



it was. 



2C _ 



