HORNED LARK 201 



spring, but not in winter. They are restless birds, flying 

 high when disturbed, and passing back and forth from one hill 

 to another, so that their notes are often heard high in air. 

 On the ground they run or walk ; in the air their wings look 

 long and pointed. The " horns " show as little tufts of elon- 

 gated feathers projecting backward on each side of the head. 

 The females are smaller, the yellow of their throats is 

 duller, but they may be distinguished at very close range 

 from the inland Prairie Horned Lark by the white eyebrow 

 of the latter. Shore Larks are often associated with Snow 

 Buntings, but may be known by their heavy square-shoul- 

 dered build, the yellow throat, and the black markings 

 which include it. 



FLYCATCHERS : FAMILY TYRANNID.ai 



Nine Flycatchers occur as summer residents in some parts 

 of New York and New England. Pour or five are commonly 

 distributed throughout the whole region ; these are the 

 Phoebe, the Kingbird, the Least Flycatcher, and the Wood 

 Pewee, all of which are fairly common, and the Crested Ply- 

 catcher, which is locally common, but in many places rare or 

 absent. In the lower Hudson Vallej', the Green-crested Fly- 

 catcher occurs as a summer resident ; in northern New York 

 and New England, the Alder and the Olive-sided Flycatchers 

 occur as fairly common summer resideiits. The Yellow- 

 bellied Flycatcher is a summer resident of high mountains, 

 and of the damp forests of northern New York and New 

 England. All the Flycatchers sit more or less on exposed 

 perches, in an upright position, with the tail held nearly 

 straight down. From this station they fly out after passing 

 insects, and then return to the same perch or another. Many 

 of them during the breeding season are of a rather overbear- 

 ing disposition, constantly wrangling with other birds that 

 come near their nesting haunts. 



