150 ' DWIGHT 



coverts streaked on head and back with sepia. Forehead, lateral "horns," 

 lores, auriculars and triangular breast patch black, veiled by overlapping pale 

 buff or pinkish feather tips. Wings deep sepia, primaries much darker, edged 

 with whitish, the rest of the wing feathers edged with vinaceous cinnamon. 

 Tail brownish black, the outer rectrices edged with white, the middle pair 

 paler, broadly edged with pinkish Isabella-color. Below, dull white, the chin, 

 sides of head and forehead strongly suffused with lemon or canary-yellow, a 

 bufly band across breast below the black patch, flecked with dusky spots. 



4. First Nuptial Plumage acquired by wear, which brings 

 the black areas into prominence. A number of spring speci- 

 mens show a few growing feathers about the sides of the head 

 and chin, but it is doubtful whether this slight renewal betokens 

 a prenuptial moult. As the birds leave for their northern 

 breeding grounds early in the spring the matter is worthy of 

 further investigation. 



5. Adult Winter Plumage acquired by a complete post- 

 nuptial moult probably in August on the northern breeding 

 grounds. Hardly distinguishable from first winter dress in 

 many cases. The pectoral buffy band is less conspicuous and 

 less spotted, and adults are perhaps pinker above. 



6. Adult Nuptial Plumage acquired by wear as in the 

 young bird. 



Female. — In juvenal plumage females are indistinguishable 

 from the males. In other plumages they lack the black fore- 

 head, of the male, being streaked instead, the breast patch is 

 limited, the back is more streaked and the colors are duller. 

 The moults are identical. 



Otocoris alpestris praticola Hensh. Prairie Horned Lark 



All plumages correspond to those of 0. alpestris, darker colors 

 and lack of yellow being the chief differences aside from relative 

 size. The juvenal plumage is very dark brown above, spotted 

 with brownish white, and white below, heavily spotted on the 

 breast with dull black. In first winter and later plumages the 

 white superciliary lines, perhaps faintly tinged with yellow, are a 

 good diagnostic character. 



