NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



367 





536. I<API,AND ItOHGSPUR (From Brehm). 



537. SMITH'S LONGSPTIR. Calcariiis pictus (Swains.) Geog. Dist.— Interior 

 ol Arctic America; south in winter over the Great Plains and prairies to Illinois and 

 Texas. 



The Painted Longspur inhabits Arctic America, chiefly the Saskatchewan and the 

 Mackenzie River Valleys, breeding as far north as the Arctic coast and Upper Yukon 

 Valley. It is a common bird on the prairies of Minnesota, Dakota, Montana, etc., 

 southward, associating in the fall with the Chestnut-collared Longspur, but breeds 

 moetly farther north. Its nesting is like that of C. lapponicus. The eggs, four or five 

 in number, are light clay color, marked with obscure blotches and lines, dots and 

 blotches of dark purplish-brown; they have the same average size as those of 

 lapponicus; but are colored more like the eggs of the next species. 



538. CHESTNtlT-OOLLABED LONGSPTIR. Calcarius ornatus (Towns.) 

 Geog. Dist. — Great Plains of the United States, north to the Saskatchewan; south in 

 winter to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico. 



This bird is called the Black-shouldered or White-tailed Longspur. It is one of 

 the most abundant birds of the Western plains — resident in Middle and Northwest- 

 ern Kansas, breeding north through Nebraska, Dakota, Montana, etc., to high lati- 

 tudes. A common but somewhat local breeder in Manitoba. In Kansas it begins 

 laying in June. The nest is placed on the ground on the high, open prairie, and is 

 composed wholly of mosses and fine grasses. A set of four eggs is in my cabinet, 

 which was taken in Becker county, Minnesota, where the species is a common breed- 

 er. These eggs have a reddish-clay color, marked with dark reddish-brown spots 

 and blotches, even approaching black, and obscure shell markings of purple; sizes 

 .75X.54, .74X.54, .73x.54. .73x.55 inches. 



