THE TEXAN HORNED LARK. 341 



All the eggs in the United States National Museum collection excepting a 

 single set were taken in the third week in May, evidently second broods, and 

 a nest, with three young birds about a couple of days old, was found on April 

 19, 1892, indicating that the breeding season commences probably about the 

 latter part of March and lasts through April and May. The usual number of 

 eggs laid to a set appears to be three or four, and these resemble very closely 

 those of the other subspecies already described, both in shape and coloration. 

 Two specimens show a couple of dark-colored hair lines about their larger ends, 

 resembling those found on our Orioles. 



The average measurement of fourteen specimens in the United States 

 National Museum collection is 21.90 by 15.54 millimetres, or about 0.86 by 0.61 

 inch. The largest egg measures 23.62 by 16 millimetres, or 0.93 by 0.63 inch; 

 the smallest, 20.83 by 14.99 millimetres, or 0.82 by 0.59 inch. 



The type specimen, No. 25159 (PI. 5, Fig. 27), from a set of four eggs, 

 was taken and donated to the collection by Mr. H. P. Attwater, near Rockport, 

 Aransas County, Texas, on May 19, 1892, and represents one of the lighter 

 styles of coloration found among these eggs. 



130. Otocoris alpestris chrysolaema (Wagler). 



MEXICAN HORNED LARK. 



Alauda clirysolcema Wagler, Isis, 1831, 530. 



Otocoris alpestris clirysolcema Ste.jneger, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, V, 1882,34. 

 (B — , C 53a, R 300b, C 84, TJ 474e.) 



Geographical range : Table4ands of Mexico, from Vera Cruz northward, including 

 the higher plateau regions of northern Lower California, as well as the coast districts west 

 of the Coast Range in California, north to about latitude 39°. 



The breeding range of the Mexican Horned Lark, while quite an extensive 

 one, is still very imperfectly defined, there being but little material on hand 

 from Mexico, and this only from about the extreme southern limits of its range 

 where it is known to breed. Nothing is known regarding its distribution through- 

 out central Mexico, while in Lower California it appears to be confined, during 

 the breeding season at least, to the more northern parts of the peninsula. 1 



Mr. A. W. Anthony writes me : ' ' Otocoris alpestris clirysolcema nests on the 

 San Pedro Martir Mountains at altitudes of about 8,500 feet, while on both the 

 eastern and Avestern slopes it is replaced during the breeding season by Otocoris 

 alpestris pallida, a strikingly different race." It is also reported as breeding at 

 San Quentin, near the coast. It is not uncommon throug'hout the coast districts 

 of southern California, and apparently reaches the northern limits of its range 

 here in Sonoma County, about latitude 39°. 



1 Since this was written the U. S. Department of Agriculture has obtained quite an extensive series 

 of skins from the States of Puebla, Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, and Chihuahua, Mexico, taken at different 

 seasons, which seem to he all referable to this race, and indicate that the Mexican Horned Lark is pretty 

 generally distributed in suitable localities throughout the greater part of the Mexican Republic. 



