NAMES: Lapland Longspur. — Sporenammer (German). 



SCIENTIFIC NAMES: Fringilla lapponica Linn. (1761). Emberiza lapponka Swains. (1831). Plectro- 

 pbanes lapponicus Cab. (1851). CALCARIUS LAPPONICUS Stejn. (1882). 



DESCRIPTION: "Male. Head all round, and neck, black, extending on the jugulum in a crescentic patch; 

 a broad line from above and beliind the eye, sides of neck, a patch in the black of hind head, and 

 whole under-parts, white; the sides of body streaked broadly with black. A broad half-collar of 

 chestnut on back of neck, separated from the hood narrowly, and from the auriculars and throat 

 broadly, by the white stripe from the eye. Above, brownish-black, the feathers sharply edged with 

 brownish-yellow. Outer tail-feathers, white, except the basal portion of inner web, and a shaft streak 

 at end; next feather with a white streak in end, rest, black. Legs, black, bill, yellow, tipped with 

 black. In winter plumage the black and other markings overlaid by rusty and fulvous; beneath by 

 whitish. Female with the black feathers of head edged with yellowish-rusty ; the throat white, 

 bordered on the sides and behind by blackish; feathers edged with grayish-white, the rufous of nape 

 obscure, and streaked with blackish. 



"Length of male, 6.25 inches; wing, 3.90; tail, 2.80 inches." (B. B. & R., I p. 515.) 



SMITH'S LONGSPUR; PAINTED BUNTING. 



Calcarius pictus Stejneger. 



This Longsput is also a bird of the Arctic regions of North America, breeding 

 abundantly on the lower Anderson River, where numerous nests were found by Mr. 

 McFarlane. They w^ere all on the ground, and usually in open spaces, but also in the 

 vicinity of trees. The nests, for the most part, were constructed of fine dry grasses, 

 carefully arranged, and lined with down, feathers, or finer materials similar to those 

 of the outer portions. In a few nests there were no feathers; in others, feathers in 

 different proportions; and in a few the down and feathers composed the chief portion 

 of the nest, with only a few leaves as a base. They were sometimes sunk in excava- 

 tions made by the birds, or placed in a tussock of grass, and, placed in the midst 

 of a bed of Labrador tea {Ledum palustris), a beautiful evergreen ericaceous plant. 

 When the nest is approached the female quietly slips off, while the male may be seen 

 hopping or flying around among the weeds or bushes, and like all these ground-building 

 Sparrows, will make all possible efforts to induce intruders to withdraw from the 

 neighborhood. Nests have also been found at Fort Yukon, at the mouth of Porcupine 

 River, and in the Mackenzie district the bird seems to be especially common. The eggs 

 are similar to those of the Lapland Longspur, but lighter in color. 



The Painted Bunting comes and goes with the Lapland Longspur, but it is not 

 as common as this species. It migrates as far south as Caddo, Indian Territory, and 

 even to Gainesville, Texas. In the prairie districts of south-western Missouri it is not^ 

 uncommon in w^inter. It is only a winter visitant of the United States, especially w^est 

 of the Mississippi and east of the Rocky Mountains. According to Prof. Ridgway they 

 sometimes also occur on the prairies of Illinois, and it is probable that they also visit 

 the western parts of Wisconsin during their migrations. 



DESCRIPTION: "Adult male in summer: Top and sides of head, deep black, relieved by a broad white 

 stripe behind the eye, a narrow white stripe along middle portion of ear-coverts, and a white malar- 

 stripe, much widest posteriorly; hind-neck and entire lower parts deep ochraceous-buff, the first 

 streaked with dusky; anterior lesser wing-coverts deep black, posterior ones pure white, forming a 

 conspicuous bar, widest above. Adult male in winter: Black of head entirely replaced by streaked 



