THE HORNED LARKS AND THEIR RELATION 
TO AGRICULTURE. 
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITS. 
The horned lurk- are small but hardy birds which frequent the open 
country and never live in forests. They arc found in a great variety 
of situations, ami feed along roads, in weedy or freshly plowed fields, 
on commons or other waste places, and in closely grazed pastures, 
meadows, and stubble fields. The beaches and salt marshes of the 
coasts, the lake shores, muddy flats, and swamps of the interior are 
thronged with them in fall and winter. In the far Wesl they live in 
hot desert valleys, on arid table-lands, on level grassy prairies, in 
the foothills, and even on hare mountain peaks. 
They are readily distinguished from other small ground-loving birds. 
They are about the size of the bluebird, their throats are white or 
yellow, there i^ a conspicuous black mark across the breast, and just 
above and behind the eye- are small pointed tufts of dark-colored 
feathers which are often erected. These black tufts or horns are 
perhaps the bird's most characteristic feature, and give origin to the 
common name 'horned lark/ by which it is known over most of the 
United State-. -Shore lark' is another common name, though a less 
apt one. The various subspecies are distinguished by name- which 
convey an idea of the surroundings of the bird or of its appearance — 
prairie, desert, scorched, and pallid horned lark being examples of 
these designations. West of the Mississippi several name- indicative 
of the bird's habit- are used, among them being 'prairie bird', 'road 
trotter." and 'wheat bird.' In parts of Canada it i- known a- 'spring' 
or 'life bird,' in allusion, no doubt, to its reappearance in the vernal 
season. 
Many of the popular name- of the horned larks emphasize the fact 
that they are preeminently terrestrial birds. During the day they run 
nimbly over the surface in quest of food; at night they roost in small 
companies on the bare earth. A clod or -tone i- a favorite perch, and 
they are rarely seen in a bush or tree. 
They nest early, the first clutch of eggs often being completed before 
the -now has disappeared. The nests are of the simplest description, 
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