104 Contributions from the Charleston Museum. 



-summer and autumn, but I have not observed it in the spring. 

 My earliest record is August 15, and my latest September 30. 



This form inhabits dense jungles where there is more or less 

 water and the nature of its haunts precludes even an attempt to 

 enter such places in order to study its habits. The note, which is 

 a soft "pep, pep," is uttered during the hottest part of the day. 

 The birds become exceedingly fat in September and for this reason 

 are difficult to preserve as specimens. 



This form of E. traillii breeds abundantly in the New England 

 states and winters from Central America to Ecuador. 



FAMILY ALAUDID^E: LARKS. 

 181. Otocoris alpestris (Linn.). Horned Lark. 



On January 18, 1893, there was a fall of snow — a remarkable 

 occurrence for the coast region of South Carolina. The weather 

 was bitterly cold during the following seven days; then it mod- 

 erated. I was afield early every morning, and was well repaid 

 on the 20th, when I discovered three Horned Larks soaring very 

 high. Finally one alighted in a corn field, where it was promptly 

 shot. The same day I discovered a flock of about fifteen, which 

 were feeding in an old field. I secured two on the ground, and two 

 flying, making five in all. I failed to find the birds after they 

 flew away, although I searched every field carefully for miles in 

 every direction. No more were seen on the following days. As 

 far as I am aware this is the first record for the seaboard of South 

 Carolina, and the most southerly record for the species. To 

 make sure of the form I sent a specimen to Mr. William Brewster, 

 and he has pronounced it true alpestris. I published this note in 

 the Auk for April, 1893. 



Audubon states in Birds of America, 1 that "my friend Bach- 

 man never saw one near Charleston." 



Mr. Leverett M. Loomis originally recorded alpestris as the form 

 which occurred at Chester, but later pointed out the error in the 

 Auk 2 in the following words: 



The appearance of Mr. Ridgway's 'Manual,' with its broadened character- 

 ization of the latter form (praticola) , further disclosed the fact that a series of 

 measurements taken at intervals during the decade previous to 1886 were typi- 

 cal of praticola, and that alpestris had never been secured. 



Mr. Walter Faxon, in his article on John Abbot's Drawings of 



'111,47. • VIII, 1891, 57. 



