The Birds of El Paso County, Colorado 531 



a young lark was seen which could not have been long out 

 of the nest. 



While the larks usually remain on the plains during the 

 winter and are not especially conspicuous by their numbers, 

 yet when severe weather comes, especially if it is accompanied 

 by snow which lays some length of time without melting, 

 making it difficult for the birds to obtain food, they will come 

 into town, sometimes by thousands. This has been the case 

 in several different winters. The winter of 1902-3 was quite 

 a notable instance of the sort. It was a very cold winter, with 

 snow on the ground much of the time, and consequently the 

 larks could find little or no food on the plains, being unable 

 to reach the ground under the snow. This being the case, they 

 were in Colorado Springs in great numbers. The people were 

 feeding them in many places, putting out millet and similar 

 food for them. One feeding place was near the County Court- 

 house in Alamo Park. A space 8 by 12 feet would be covered 

 by the birds feeding, and also at other feeding places they 

 would alight so thickly as to hide the ground. February was 

 the most severe month; after March first the weather moder- 

 ated and the birds began to disappear from the town. May 

 14, 1912, during a cold storm with snow, Horned Larks were 

 driven into Colorado Springs as far south as Weber and Co- 

 lumbia Streets. For some reason none came into the town in 

 February, 1913, though there was snow on the ground for 

 several days. 



During these cold winters there is great mortality among 

 these birds, many perishing from cold or hunger. Many are 

 found dead under wire fences, and it would seem possible that 

 the birds light on the wires with their feet wet from being 

 in the snow, and the toes freezing to the wires the birds can- 

 not get away and so freeze to death there, and afterward fall 

 to the ground when the feet relax their hold from thawing. 



Taking advantage of the opportunity afforded by the find- 

 ing of large numbers of Horned Larks dead at times of storms 



