_Alauda spraguei_, AUD. Birds Am. VII, 1843, 335, pl. cccclxxxvi.
_Agrodoma spraguei_, BAIRD, Stansbury’s Rep. 1852, 329. _Neocorys
spraguei_, SCLATER, P. Z. S. 1857, 5.—BAIRD, Birds N. Am. 1858,
234.—BLAKISTON, Ibis, 1862, 4 (Saskatchewan).—COOPER, Orn. Cal.
I, 1870, 80. _Anthus (Neocorys) spraguei_, BAIRD, Rev. 155.
SP. CHAR. Above wood-brown, all the feathers edged with paler,
especially on the neck, where there is a brownish-yellow tinge. The
under parts are dull white, with a collar of sharply defined narrow
brown streaks across the forepart and along the sides of the breast.
Lores and a superciliary line whitish. Tail-feathers, except the
middle ones, dark brown; the outer one white, the second white, with
the inner margin brown. The outer primary is edged with white, and
there are two dull whitish bands across the wings. Bill and feet
yellow, the former brown above. Length (female), 5.75; wing, 3.35;
tail, 2.50.
HAB. Plains of Yellowstone and Upper Missouri to Saskatchewan;
Nebraska.
[Line drawing: _Neocorys spraguei._
16766]
This little-known species has the general appearance of a Titlark, but
is readily distinguished from _Anthus ludovicianus_ by the purer white
of its under parts, the much darker centres and much paler margins to
the feathers above, the entirely white external tail-feather, and the
yellow legs and bill, as well as by its generic peculiarities. In its
song and general habits it approaches nearer the European Skylark than
any bird belonging to our fauna.
HABITS. This interesting species was first described by Audubon, in
the supplementary portion of his Birds of America. It was obtained by
the party which accompanied him to the Upper Missouri in 1843. It was
first met with on the 19th of June near Fort Union, in Dacotah
Territory. It has since been found on the fork of the Saskatchewan,
but little additional information respecting its habits has been
obtained since its first discovery.
[Illustration: _Neocorys spraguei._]
It seems to more nearly approach, in its habits, the European Skylark
than any other of our North American birds. Mr. Edward Harris was
completely misled, at first, by the sound of their song, so that on
several occasions he sought for them on the ground. Their voices
appeared to come to him from the earth’s surface. After having
travelled in quest of them, to no purpose, to many distant parts of
the prairies, he at last discovered that these sounds proceeded from
several of these birds soaring at so great an elevation as to make
them difficult to discover by the eye, even in the transparent
atmosphere of that country.
They are described as running gracefully on the ground, at times
squatting to observe the movements of the intruders, and again
elevating their bodies as if to meet their approach. Rising from the
ground, they fly in an undulating manner, so that it is extremely
difficult to shoot them on the wing. They continue thus to fly in
increasing circles until about a hundred yards high, when they begin
to sing. After a while, suddenly closing their wings, they drop to the
ground. They could be easily approached in a light wagon, and in this
manner several specimens were obtained.
Captain Blakiston (Ibis, V. 61) found this Skylark common on the
prairies of the Saskatchewan during the breeding-season. He first met
with it on the 6th of May, near Fort Carlton. When disturbed from the
grass, its usual haunt, it utters a single chirp, and immediately
mounts in the air by a circuitous course, with a very undulating
flight, to a great height, where with outstretched wings it soars in a
peculiar manner, and utters a very striking song. This is described as
consisting of a quick succession of notes, in a descending scale, each
note being lower than the preceding. The bird then descends to the
ground with great rapidity, almost like a stone, and somewhat in the
manner of a hawk swooping on its prey. It was difficult of approach,
and not easily killed. He also observed these birds in Northern
Minnesota, May 4, 1859.
A nest of this bird was built on the ground and placed in a hollow. It
was made of fine grasses interwoven into a circular form, but without
any lining. The eggs were four or five in number, an oblong oval in
shape, much pointed at one end, and measuring .87 of an inch in length
by .63 in breadth. Their ground-color was a dull white, so minutely
dotted with a grayish-purple as to give the whole egg a homogeneous
appearance, as of that uniform color.
The young larks, soon after being hatched, followed their parents on
the ground, and were fed with seeds of the smaller plants and with
insects. They had already begun to associate in small flocks of from
eight to a dozen before the party left, and on the 16th of August had
commenced their southern migrations.