THE OOLOGIST. 



71 



The Shore Lark. 



(Eremophila alpestris.) 



n 



'his species is an inhabitant of North 

 America, breeding in the north, and 

 is found in the United States during 

 migrations. 



There are two varieties recognized by 

 Dr. Coues,viz : leucolcema a.ud ch'ysolce7na, 

 of these the latter is described as smaller 

 and brighter and is found from the south- 

 western Territories southward to New Gra- 

 nada ; the former is no smaller than typical 

 alpestris, but is much paler in color. The 

 following from Birds of the North-west will 

 show wherein it differs : ' ' Little or no yel- 

 low about the head or throat, and the black 

 markings narrow. Upper parts grayish- 

 brown, with little or no pinkish tinge ; the 

 feathers with only obsoletely darker cen- 

 tres." The typical form is very abundant 

 here during the winter, beginning to arrive 

 from the north about the first or middle of 

 October, and leaving quite early in the 

 spring. The}' associate quite freely with 

 the Lapland Longspur {Pledrophanes lap- 

 ponicus), and are also found in flocks of 

 from twenty to fifty or one hundred. It is 

 just possible, as is the case with many oth- 

 er northern breeding birds, that a few pairs 

 may breed here, however in this article, 

 when speaking of the eggs and nest, 1 re- 

 fer to var. leucolcema* . 



They frequent pastures, and are also 

 found in the roads, where they run about 

 in the tracks made by the horses, picking 

 up whatever they can find that is palatable. 

 Their food consists of weed seeds. When 

 feeding in the roads they do not seem at all 

 wild, and will not fly until approached with- 



[*The relations of the three Eremophiloe 

 referred to, are, we should judge, somewhat 

 complicated as far as distinction is concern- 

 ed. The variety leucolcema according to Dr. 

 Coues is " resident on the dry interior plains 

 from Iowa and Minnesota westward." The 

 finding of its nest on several occasions in north 

 eastern Illinois by our correspondent is there- 

 fore a note of interest. — Ed.] \ 



in a few feet, when they will fly a rod or 

 two and alight again, and seem very loth 

 to leave. 



While out collecting on Feb. 24, 1877, 

 I fired at one of this species, which was 

 feeding in the road. As I pulled the trig- 

 ger, I unaccountably raised the muzzle of 

 the gun at least two inches above the bird ; 

 at the report it rose a foot or two in the 

 air, and lit again in a clump of grass at the 

 side of the road. Going up to where it 

 was, I loaded up my gun and stooped to 

 pick it up, when, with a sharp chirp, off it 

 flew. In wet, stormy weather, they are 

 very restless, moving about almost contin- 

 ually ; occasionally numbers of them will 

 rise in the air, and alight again in nearly 

 the same place. Sometimes one will rise 

 in circles until lost to sight, uttering at in- 

 tervals its song, which consists of two sharp 

 chirps and a long trill. While feeding they 

 frequently utter two or three sharp chirps, 

 something like the note of the Chipping 

 Sparrow, but much louder and clearer. 

 When feeding in the pastures it is very dif- 

 ficult, indeed, almost impossible to see them, 

 their plumage agrees so well in color with 

 the dead grass, the first intimation of their 

 presence being the note of alarm as one 

 springs, from almost under your feet, fol- 

 lowed by a confused twittering and flutter- 

 ing of wings, as his companions fly off. 

 After they are once marked down, it is 

 I much easier to find them than the Lapland 

 Longspur. 



The first nest I collected I found on the 

 ground in a pasture, April 15, 1877. The 

 nest was placed in a depression in the ground, 

 built of grass, the top being flush with the 

 surface, and was much more compactly built 

 than is the case with many ground building 

 birds. This nest contained four eggs, far 

 advanced in incubation. The female was 

 on the nest, and only left Avhen I was close 

 to her ; indeed, if she had remained close 

 I should not have found the nest at all ; she 

 flew a few yards away, and alighting, be- 

 gan to smooth her feathers, betraying no 

 solicitude for the safety of her treasures. 

 May 24, I found another nest containing 



