Vermont Botanical and Bird Club 25 



THE PRAIRIE HORNED LARK 



George L. Kirk. 



Comparison of notes during the winter meeting of the clubs at Rut- 

 land developed the fact that the prairie horned lark {Otocoris alpes- 

 tris praticola) probably does not breed about Burlington, and is irreg- 

 ular as a summer resident in other parts of the state where the coun- 

 try is flat. This was a great surprise to the writer as this lark 

 nests sparingly, but regularly, in the vicinity of Rutland, and 

 there are records for the eastern and southern parts of the state. Posi- 

 tive records of the breeding of this bird in Vermont should be sent to 

 the editor of the bird department of the bulletin, and it will be inter- 

 esting at some future time to publish a paper on its distribution in 

 the state. 



The bird normally reaches Rutland about February 25, always be- 

 ing the first migrant to return. It may, occasionally, remain all winter 

 when there is little snow. Two secured on February 6, 1916 from a 

 flock which were supposed to be the horned lark (0. alpestris) turned 

 out to be the sub-species. Certainly the horned lark is not affected 

 by the cold, as the writer has frequently heard its weak, but inter- 

 esting song coming from a clot of frozen earth, or fence-post, at the 

 close of a late February, or early March day, when the thermometer 

 registered zero. 



THE BIRDS' CHRISTMAS TREE 



Adelaide B. Denton. 



That our feathered friends might be especially remembered at Christ- 

 mas time, when all the city was celebrating with gaily decorated trees, 

 we fashioned a Christmas tree for them out of a bare hydrangea bush 

 which grew beside the front window. We tied on bits of suet, cran- 

 berries in rosy strings, chains of sunflower seeds and Brazil nuts. The 

 nuts seemed to be the favorite, the greatest delicacy of all. Later 

 we fastened to the tree a wire basket filled with cracked acorns, hickory 

 nuts, bread crumbs and suet. 



How quickly the birds found it! The chickadee came first; then 

 the nuthatch and two downy woodpeckers. The three species are often 

 seen feeding at the same time. 



