makki:yin<: OK IiOKNK!) lakks. 
11 
months, when little animal matter is eaten and the amount of vegeta 
ble food i> at its maximum, considerable grain is consumed, but about 
three-fourths of the food are weed Beed. 
l'Vw examinations of the stomachs of horned larks have been made 
except in the Biological Survey, most ornithologists contenting them- 
selves with casual lidd observations on the food habits. Examination 
of all accessible accounts reveals but few items of food not met with 
in the course of the present investigation, these being such unimpor- 
tant substances as minute crustaceans, cactus seeds, and plant buds, 
none of which are commonly eaten. 
The food habits of the horned lark Otocoris alpestn's fiava (Gme 
lin) of Europe, judging from published accounts, are essentially like 
those of our own forms, to 
which it is closely related. 
In Germany another spe- 
cies, the skylark, in recog- so 
nition of its value as an 
insect destroyer, is pro- 
tected by law from May to 
September L5; a but at other 
seasons it is taken in nets in uo 
large numbers for food. 
In former times larks were 2 ° 
much used for food also in 
the United States. They a 
occur in flocks in winter, are 
easily trapped, and years 
ago the markets of many of 
our large cities were abundantly supplied with them. This traffic has 
not entirely ceased at the present time. In L891* W. E. Bryant wrote 
concerning the marketing of horned larks: 
For an indefinite numtx r of years there have been exposed for sale in the markets 
of san Francisco * * small Californian birds, * * * the so-called 'reed 
birds.' * * * A San Francisco 'reed bird' * * * generally speaking is a 
horned lark i Otocoris) , known to the market men and po1 hunters who furnish them 
as 'bean l>inls.' Fifteen years or more ago this bird was almosl the only species 
killed for this purpose, but the Long-continued, persistent Blaying of this species. 
together with the increase of settlement, making it necessary to journey farther after 
them, has resulted in the substitution of most any other species of aboul the same 
size in place of them. * The annual destruction must amount to man\ 
thousands. 
However, of recent years the economic value of horned larks has 
become better understood, and at present they are protected through 
J*N 
f{B 
riAP 
4Pfi 
MA> 
1 
• 
- ■ 
S\<- t 
- 
NOV 
1 1 C 
/ 
Fi<;. 2. — Diagram showing the proportions of animal and 
vegetable food of the adult horned larks toreverymonth 
in the year. 
"Hermann Furst, Deutschland's uutzliche und schadliche Vdgel, p. ,;;; - ls!,;: 
''Zoe, II, pp. 142-144, 1891. 
