FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 327 
“dashing in and striking down many of the birds before the flock is 
well under headway.” 
In their summer home, Mr. Nelson says the longspur is “ a widely 
spread circumpolar bird, whose presence is recorded from nearly 
every point visited by explorers along the shores of the arctic coast. 
. . . When they arrive early in May,” he adds, “ the ground is still 
largely covered with snow with the exception of grassy spots along 
southern exposures and the more favorably situated portions of the 
tundra, and here may be found these birds in all the beauty of their 
elegant summer dress. The males, as if conscious of their handsome 
plumage, choose the tops of the only breaks in the monotonous level, 
which are small rounded knolls and tussocks. The male utters its 
song as it flies upward from one of these knolls, and when it reaches 
the height of ten or fifteen yards it extends the points of its wings 
upwards, forming a large V-shaped figure, and floats gently to the 
ground, uttering, as it slowly sinks, its liquid tones, which fall in 
tinkling succession upon the ear, and are perhaps the sweetest 
notes that one hears during the entire springtime in these regions.” 
536a. C. 1. alascensis Ridgw. Alaskan Longspur. 
Similar to the Lapland longspur, but decidedly paler, especially in 
winter; summer adults with ground color of upper parts light huffy gray¬ 
ish brown, with little if any rusty tinge, even on wings; and the black 
streaks relatively narrower. Male: length (skins) 5.75-6.55, wing 3.59- 
3.92, tail 2.30-2.68, hill .41-49. Female: length (skins) 5.34-6.25, wing 
3.39-3.67, tail 2.19-2.48, bill .40-.47. 
Distribution. — Breeds in Alaska, migrating in the United States to 
Nevada, Colorado, and western Kansas. 
537. Calcarius pictus (Swains.). Smith Longspur. 
Inner web of outer tail feather chiefly white. Adult male in summer: 
top and sides of head black marked with three 
white stripes — behind eye, across ear coverts, 
and down sides of neck ; hind neck and entire 
under parts brownish buff, hind neck streaked Fig. 415. Summer male, 
with black ; rest of upper parts streaked buffy 
brown and black. Adult male in winter: black of head replaced by 
streaked brownish, like rest of upper parts ; throat and chest also more or 
less streaked. Adult female in summer : like winter male, but smaller, 
paler, and grayer, and without clear black or white on wing coverts; entire 
upper parts streaked brown and blackish. In winter , similar, but more 
buffy. Young: similar to winter adults, but markings wanting or obscure, 
entire under parts yellowish brown or buffy; throat obscurely streaked ; 
tail white only on two or three outer feathers. Male: length (skins) 5.84- 
6.81, wing 3.40-3.79, tail 2.33-2.71, bill .40-.44. Female: length (skins) 
5.53-5.76, wing 3.41-3.54, tail 2.18-2.32, bill .40-45. 
Distribution. — Interior of North America, breeding north to the arctic 
coast and migrating in the United States to Texas and southern Arizona. 
Eggs. —Like those of the Lapland longspur, but averaging lighter, the 
whitish distinctly spotted style prevailing. 
Food. — In winter largely weed seed. 
