Note.—Alarm note and call a whistled “tseet,” “tseet”; song a low, sweet, and continued warble.
Nest.—A hollow in the ground lined with grass; placed in fields and usually partially concealed by an overhanging sod or stone. The three to five eggs have a grayish ground color and are profusely specked and blotched with gray and brownish. (.85 × .60).
Range.—Breeds in Labrador and about Hudson Bay; south in winter to South Carolina and Illinois.
Sub-Species.—474b. Prairie Horned Lark (praticola). A paler form usually with the line over the eye white, found in the Mississippi Valley. 474c. Desert Horned Lark (leucolæma). Paler and less distinctly streaked above than the Prairie; found west of the Mississippi and north to Alberta.
AMERICAN MAGPIE
475. Pica pica hudsonia. 20 inches
This handsome member of the Crow family is sure to attract the attention of all who may see him. He is very pert in all his actions, both in trees and on the ground, and is always ready for mischief. In a high wind their long tail often makes traveling a laborious operation for them, and at such times they usually remain quite quiet. They are very impudent and always on the lookout for something to steal; they are also very noisy and forever scolding and chattering among themselves.
Note.—A loud, harsh “cack,” “cack,” and an endless variety of whistles and imitations.
Nest.—A large, globular heap of sticks placed in bushes or trees from four to fifty feet from the ground. The entrance to the nest is on one side and the interior is made of grass and mud. The four to six eggs are white, thickly specked with yellowish brown (1.25 × .90).