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Show 248 to each others' calls by constant Bharp chirps. For birds of this group they are more than usually gregarious. Through the summer each family maintains a close connection. In fall, their wanderings begin, and then they come together in large companies, the numbers being still further augmented by the addition of other species, as the Snowbirds and Zorotrichias. the whole forming a merry and united flock. Two broods are reared in a season. At Santa Barbara in June the young were very numerous, while I took the young still in nesting- plumage as late as August 10. I found the species in November about San Francisco, and they doubtless winter here. No. 84 85 86 188 351 47 493 570 571 572 634 648 649 710 Sex. d Inn. < f Jan. 9 Inn. 1 d* Inn. dT Jan. < S ad. o" * 1 * $ cT 9 Locality. Santo Barbara, Cal. - do - , . do do do do Walker's Basin, Cal. Near Kernville, Cal. do do do Walker's Basin, Cal do do , Bate. Jane 26 Jane 26 Jane 26 Jane 28 I Ang. 10 Jane 25 I Aug. I Oct. 1 Oct. Oct. Oct. Nov. Nov. Nov. 27 16 16 16 28 5 5 11 Collector. • Wing. Tail! Bill. Tarsus. I H. W. ... do ... do ... do ... do ... do ... do ... do ... do ... do ... do ... do ... do ... do Henahaw. 3.74 3.84 4.05 3.55 3.90 3.97 3.67 3.66 3.78 .1. 4.37 4.68 4.95 4.55 4.82 4.83 4.57 4.67 4.52 0.60 0.63 0.67 0.58 0.63 0.55 0.58 0.58 0.59 1.0* 1.0-- 1.17 1.04 1.12 1.10 1.07 1.0s 1.05 79. Pipilo chlorurus, ( Towns.).-- Green- tailed Finch. r The present bird appears to be by no means as common in Southern California as throughout the interior country. It is pre- eminently a mountain- loving species, and in California I did not find it lower than 5,000 feet. At this elevation it was breeding in the mountains August 1. streams. mtains near Fort Tejon; the young, perhaps of a second brood, being taken It inhabits the tangled brakes and thickets nearly always close to the No. 771 408 409 444 Sex. d1 Jan. < f° J* a n. 9 Locality. Tejon Monntains, Cal do do Near Mount Whitney, Cal Bate. Collector. Aug. Aug. Ang. Sept. 1 19 19 1 H. W. Henshaw. Do. Do. Do. ALAUDID^ E.- LAKKS. 80. Eremophila alpeetris, ( Forst.), var. chrysol& ma, Wagl.- Southern Horned Larks. The small bright- colored race of the Horned Lark is a common summer resident along the coast of Southern California, and is found, too, at this season, according to Dr. Cooper, as far north as Puget Sound. In certain parts of the island of Santa Cruz, it was very numerous in June, as well, too, as along the adjoining shore of the mainland at Santa Barbara. The immense flocks of these birds that gather together in the fall are well known, but I was surprised to find to what extent this sociable feeling was carried during the breeding- season. Both on the mainland and on the island they were seen all through June in scattered flocks of both sexes, though nearly all, perhaps all, were at this time nesting. Both sexes incubate, and it appeared to be the habit of the birds when off duty to repair together in small flocks, and thus to wander in search of food. At this season they do not resort much to the sandy beaches, but keep on the upland, where among the herbage they find more easily, and in greater abundance, the insects and seeds which they are fond of. Their time of breeding must be quite irregular, as I found a fully- fledged young one June 1, though after wis I took two nests, with fresh eggs, and the greater number, I am persuaded, still had eggs. The nests were but rude attempts, being nothing more than a small pile of dried grasses, sufficiently hollowed to admit the reception of the eggs. One is deserving of notice as being placed within the cavity of an " ubalone" shell, one of a large heap, lying half overgrown with herbage. The whole cavity of the shell was fillea by the material, and the eggs looked prettily enough, as they lay contrasted with the shiny, pearly shells clustered about them. The eras have a grayish- white background, spotted quite uniformly with fleckings of reddish brown. In one set of these, the background is almost obscured by the markings, which are aggregated together in blotches. Two sets measured 0.86 X 1.81 - 0.85 X 0.63- 0.88 X 0.63; 0.80 X 0.63 - 0.80 X 0.63 - 0.77x0.62. |