52 THE LAPLAND LONGSPUR. 



fellows, so that the flock as a whole produced quite the effect of a troubled 

 snowstorm. 



Snowflakes occur singly or associated in flocks of from a dozen to 



several hundred individuals. Their thrilling, vibrant call, note, tew or 



.te-ew, may be heard during the falling of the real flakes, when the passing 



bird is invisible. Careful scrutiny of loosely flocking Horned Larks may 



occasionally discover a stray Snowflake, as also a few Lapland Longspurs. 



Probably no winter passes in which a few of the birds do not reach our 

 northern borders. But they rarely extend below the middle of the state, and 

 only during the most severe winters are they found anywhere in large numbers. 

 While with us they move from field to field in open places, seeking out the 

 weed-seed which forms their almost exclusive diet. A few individuals may 

 linger long enough in the spring to display the deeper browns and blacks of 

 the breeding plumage. 



No. 24. 



LAPLAND LONGSPUR. 



A. O. U. No. 536. Calcarius lapponicus (Linn.). 



Description. — Adult male in summer: Head, throat, and fore-breast black; 

 a buffy line behind eye and sometimes over eye ; a broad nuchal patch, or collar, 

 of chestnut; remaining upper parts brownish black streaked with rufous, buffy, 

 or whitish edges of feathers; below white, heavily streaked with black on sides 

 and flanks ; tail fuscous with oblique white patches on three outer feathers ; bill 

 yellow with black tip. Female in summer: Similar, but no continuous black or 

 chestnut anywhere; the black of head mostly confined to centers of feathers, — 

 these edged with buffy ; the chestnut of cervical collar faintly indicated as edging 

 of feathers with sharply outlined dusky centers ; black of throat and breast pretty 

 thoroughly obscured by grayish edging, but the general pattern retained; sides 

 and flanks with a few sharp dusky streaks. Adult male in -ivinter : Lighter 

 above; the black of head, and chestnut of cervical collar partially overlaid with 

 buffy or whitish edging; the black of throat and breast more or less obscured 

 by whitish edging. Length 6.50 (165. i) or less; wing 3.70 (94.); tail 2.53 

 (64.3) ; bill .40 (10.2) ; hind claw .45 (11.4) ; hind toe and claw .^5 (19.1). 



Recognition Marks. — Sparrow size ; terrestrial habits ; black head and breast 

 of male. The species may be readily distinguished from the Horned Lark, with 

 which it sometimes associates, by the greater extent of its black areas, and by 

 the chirruping or rattling cry which it makes when rising. 



Nesting. — ^Does not breed in Ohio. "Nest, of grasses and moss, lined with 

 grasses, on the ground. Bggs, 4-6, bluish white, almost obscured by uniform 

 grayish brown, .82 x .60 (20.8 x 15.2)" (Chapman). 



