The Alaska Longspur 



weasel and the nimbleness of the flea. He is vermin and must be treated 

 as such ; but, give the Devil his due, of course. What are we going to do 

 about it? Wage unceasing warfare, as we do against rats. There will pos- 

 sibly be rats as long as there are men, but a bubonic plague scare operates 

 very effectually to reduce their numbers. No doubt there will be English 

 Sparrows in cities as long as there are brickbats, but a clear recognition of 

 their detestable qualities should lead every sensible person to deny them 

 victuals and shelter. Every well-ordered community should have a 

 salaried official whose sole business it is to trap, shoot, burn, poison, and 

 otherwise discourage this most reprehensible alien. The House Sparrow is 

 no longer exterminable, but he may be, must be kept within bounds. 



No. 36 



Alaska Longspur 



A. 0. U. No. 536a. Calcarius lapponicus alascensis Ridgway. 



Description. — Adult male in summer: Head, throat, and fore-breast black; 

 a buffy line behind eye and sometimes over eye; a broad nuchal patch, or collar, of 

 reddish brown (hazel); remaining upperparts light grayish brown, streaked with black 

 and with some whitish edging; below white, heavily streaked with black on sides and 

 flanks; tail fuscous with oblique white patches on the two outer pairs of rectrices. 

 Bill yellow with black tip; feet and legs black. Adult male in winter: Lighter above; 

 the black of head and chestnut of cervical collar partially overlaid with buffy or whitish 

 edging; the black of throat and breast more or less obscured by white edging. Adult 

 female in summer: Similar to male in summer, but no continuous black or chestnut 

 anywhere; the black of head mostly confined to centers of feathers, — these edged with 

 buffy; the chestnut of cervical collar only faintly indicated as edging of feathers with 

 sharply outlined dusky centers; black of throat and chest pretty thoroughly obscured 

 by grayish edging, but the general pattern retained; sides and flanks with a few sharp 

 dusky streaks. Adult female in winter: Above buffy grayish brown, streaked (cen- 

 trally upon feathers) with black; wing-coverts and tertials with rusty areas between 

 the black and the buffy, and tipped with white; underparts warm buffy brownish, 

 lightening on lower breast, abdomen and under tail-coverts; lightly streaked with black 

 on throat, chest, and sides, sharply on sides and flanks. Immature birds resemble 

 adult female in winter, but are more extensively brownish buffy above, the male 

 showing also early indications of jugular black. Length of adult males about 165 

 (6.50); wing 95.8 (3.77); tail 63.3 (2.50); bill 11.7 (.46); tarsus 21.8 (.86). Female 

 smaller. 



Recognition Marks. — Sparrow size; terrestrial habits; black head and breast 

 of male. The bird may be distinguished from the Horned Lark, with which it some- 

 times associates, by the greater extent of its black areas, and by the chirruping or 

 rattling cry which it makes when rising from the ground. 



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