276 Roosevelt Wild Life Bulletin 



Marsh hawks are not common in the Park, and occur only in 

 open country, flying over meadows and marshes. A single bird 

 was seen in the Tunungwant Valley on July 23 and again on July 

 27. Two birds were seen together along lower Quaker Run on Au- 

 gust 5. All birds seen were in the female or juvenile plumage. 



The notes of the Marsh Hawk are a loud scream, used chiefly in 

 the mating season when the male birds indulge in a curious undu- 

 lating courtship flight, and a loud " eh eh eh eh eh " given when the 

 nest is threatened. 



The nest is placed on the ground in the tall grass of a meadow, 

 or sometimes in a marsh. Whether the bird nests in the Park or 

 not is a question that would be more easily settled in early summer. 

 There are in fact a number of areas such as it would ordinarily 

 choose for nesting sites. Females and young birds wander con- 

 siderable distances in late summer, hence their presence in a locality 

 is no certain indication of their nesting there. 



Prairie Horned Lark. Otocoris alpcstris praticola Hensh. 



This bird is slightly larger than the English Sparrow. Its back 

 is light brown, faintly streaked with blackish. There are black 

 markings about the eyes and on the cheeks, and a white line over the 

 eye. The throat is white or slightly yellow, and the under parts 

 white with light brown sides. There is a black patch on the breast. 

 The tail is black except the two middle feathers which are brown. 

 The outer, feathers are edged with white. On either side of the 

 head are tufts of elongated feathers or " horns " which the bird 

 can raise at will. 



The Horned Lark is rare in the Park. It probably occurs mainly 

 in open grass areas on hillsides. The only individual seen, however, 

 was in the middle of a dusty road just west of Limestone on July 

 25. A high grass hill stands near this point, where the bird may 

 have lived and bred, but my search on this hill for others of this 

 species was unsuccessful. 



The song of this bird is sung occasionally from a perch, but most 

 frequently on the wing. It is a weak, high-pitched twitter, not es- 

 pecially musical. A high-pitched call note is characteristic and 

 when once learned, easily identifies the bird. Except in the nesting 

 season the bird is likely to be seen in flocks. 



The nest is placed on the ground in a grassy field, and is often in 

 a hollow so that its rim is level with the ground. 



Grasshopper Sparrow. Ammodramus savannarum australis 

 May 11. 



The Grasshopper Sparrow is smaller than the English Sparrow. 

 It may be distinguished from the Vesper and Savannah Sparrows 

 by the lack of spots or stripes on the breast, and from other plain- 

 breasted Sparrows by the buff color of throat and head and yellow 

 mark in the bend of the wing. 



This bird is rare in the Park, occurring in open grass meadows. 

 I have met with it in but three places within the Park area : south 



