History 7 
found it not more than eighteen inches from the main road. 
It contained three unfledged young. Since then I have both 
seen and taken it during the breeding season.” Again Merriam 
(1878, p. 54) in reviewing Rathbun’s “Complete List of Birds 
of Cayuga, Seneca and Wayne Counties’’ published in the 
Auburn Daily Advertiser, August 14, 1877, draws attention to 
the statement that Eremophila alpestris is ‘‘resident and toler- 
ably common in winter . . . a few breed.’’ Howey (1878, 
p. 40) at Canandaigua, N. Y., saw the ‘‘Shore Lark’’ (Zremo- 
phila alpestris) with a worm in the bill, May 29, 1876, ‘‘fly into 
a meadow”. On June 11, found “an old bird with three young 
ones in a highway”. 
Merriam’s (1878, pp. 54-55) comments on the above records 
are, in the light of later knowledge of the Prairie Horned Lark, 
of interest. Says he: “Mr, Dayan’s note (on the authority of 
Dr. C. P. Kirley) is particularly interesting as it extends the 
known breeding range of the species (Eremophila alpestris), 
within the United States, eastward to the western border of the 
Adirondack wilderness, beyond which it must pass to the 
northward (through Saint Lawrence County) into Canada, and 
thence to Labrador. Whether it has for many years bred 
within the limits of the State of New York, or has recently 
extended its breeding range, as seems to be the case with the 
Lark Finch (Chondestes grammaca) and some other species, 
remains to be decided; I incline to the latter view. It breeds 
about Hamilton, Canada West (MclIlwraith) and abundantly 
along the Labrador coast (Audubon and Coues)’’. 
Thus Merriam, after reference to Coues’ (1874, p. 38) re- 
striction of all Horned Larks (except Eremophila alpestris 
‘‘breeding northerly’’) to Iowa and Minnesota westward, eon- 
cludes that the New York forms were of the northern subspecies, 
had extended their range from Labrador south and west! 
Whereas, as will be shown later, the reverse proved to be the 
case. Those birds ‘‘on the dry interior plains from Iowa and 
Minnesota westward’’ (Coues, 1874, p. 38) had extended their 
range east and north! 
Further records of a breeding Lark in New York, that was 
undoubtedly praticola though published before that subspecies 
was erected, are as follows: Davis (1878) tells of a nest of 
“‘Eremophila cornuta’’ found at Utiea, N. Y., April 15, [year ?]. 
