THE BIRD BOOK 



474f 



474b. Prairie Horned Lark. 



Otncoria alpe.sfris praticolo. 



Range. — Breeds in the Mississippi Valley from Illinois 

 north to Manitoba and east to the Middle States; winters 

 south to Carolina and Texas. 



This sub-species is considerably smaller than the Horn 

 ed Lark, and the throat is paler yellow, while the line over 

 the eye and the forehead is white. Tliey 

 are the most abundant "and have the ..^^^'''''"'^ 

 most extended range of any of the better ^'. ' 'H^ 

 known species. In the Mississippi Val- 

 ley, where they are of the most common 

 of the nesting birds, they build on the 

 ground in meadows or cultivated fields, 

 and very often in cornfields; the nests Ohve buff 

 are made of grasses and lined with horse hairs or feathers, 

 and placed in slight hollows generally under a tuft of grass 

 or sods. They raise two broods a season and sometimes 

 three, laying the first set of eggs in March and another in 

 June or July. The three iir four eggs have an olive buff 

 ground and are thickly sprinkled with drab and lavender; 

 size .83 X.60. 



474c. Desert Horned Lark. 

 colcptna. 



Otocorn alpestris leu- 



Range. — Plains of western United States, east of the Rockies and west of 

 Kansas and Dakota; breeds north to Alberta, and winters south to Mexico, 

 Texas and southern California. 



This species is like pidlirnhi, ))ut paler on the back; nest and eggs the same. 



47'4ri. Texas Horned Lark. Otocnris alpestris girandi. 



Range. — f^oast of southeastern Texas. 



A pale variety like leiirol(rin(i, but smaller; throat bright yellow, and breast 

 tinged with yellow. Nest and eggs like those of the others. 



474c. CaliI'OHNIa Horned Lark. Oliiairis alpestris aetia. 



Range. — Lower California and southern California. 



This bird is similar to the last but the yellow areas are brigliter, and the 

 nape and back are ruddy. 



474f. Ruddy Horned Lark. Otneoris alpestris nibea 



Range. — Sacramento Valley, California. 



This variety has the yellow areas brighter than in any other 

 and the back and nape are more ruddy. The eggs cannot be 

 distinguished from those of the others. 



Olivp buff 



