THE STEEAKED HOENED LAEK. 345 



hair lines scattered over its center. Not being absolutely identified, I have not 

 figured one of them. Specimens taken in winter at Salem, Oregon, by Dr. 

 Clinton T. Cooke, have been identified as this subspecies; the majority; however, 

 move farther south, spending the colder part of the year in southern California. 



133- Otocoris alpestris adusta Dwight. 



SCORCHED HORNED LARK. 



Otocoris alpestris adusta Dwig-HT, Auk, VII, April, 1890, 148. 

 (B _, — , E — , C — , U 4747t.) 



Geographical range: Southern Arizona and New Mexico, western Texas, and 

 soutlaward into nortliepii Mexico. 



Tlie breeding range of the Scorched Horned Lark is confined to the south- 

 ern borders of the United States through southern Arizona, the greater part of 

 New Mexico and western Texas, south into northern Mexico. This race inhabits 

 the more arid valleys and table-lands so common in the regions mentioned, and 

 in suitable localities it is resident throughout the year. In New Mexico it has' 

 been found breeding as far north as Santa Fe, which probably marks the north- 

 ern limits of its range. '^llie Scorched Horned Lark is a common breeder in 

 the "sdcinity of Forts Iluachuca and Bowie, in southern Arizona, where Mr. 

 Frederick Hall Fowler found a number of their nests and eggs; and the United 

 States National Museum is indebted to him for all the sets of this subspecies in 

 the collection. 



Its general habits, nests, etc., are similar to those of the other members of 

 this genus. The nests, according to Mr. Fowler, are sunk flush with the surface 

 of the ground, and are usually placed beside a tussock of grass or a piece of 

 dry cow dung in the open plain, and more rarely under a bush, as these are 

 more or less frequented in midday by snakes and eg'g-eating lizards. The 

 number of eggs laid to a set varies from two to four, sets of three being most 

 common. The eggs resemble those of our other Horned Larks in color and 

 markings, but are mostly short ovate in shape. The nesting season appears to 

 be at its height in April, and probably several broods are raised in a season. 



The average measurement of fifteen eggs in the United States National 

 Museum collection is 21.27 by 16.08 millimetres, or about 0.84 by 0.63 inch 

 The largest egg in the series measures 23.88 by 16.26 millimetres, or 0.94 by 0.64 

 inch; the smallest, 19.56 by 16 millimatres, or 0.77 by 0.63 inch. 



The type specimen. No. 25242 (Pi. 5, Fig. 31), from a set of three eggs, 

 was taken hv Mr. Frederick Hall Fowler, near Fort Huachuca, Arizona, on May 

 6, 1892, and represents one of the larger eggs of this subspecies. 



