. The birds of Ohio; a complete scientific and popular description of the 320 species of birds found in the state . -^•5**^ »,» -:^ HOPiNED LARK* h Life-size THE HORNED EARK. 199 THE Horned Lark bears the reputation of being the most plastic ofAmerican species—the Song Sparrow {Melospisa cinerea) alone competingwith it in this respect. A recent monograph by Mr. Harry C. Oberholser^enumerates twenty-two forms, of whic-li sixteen are described as NorthAmerican, and five Mexican, beside one from Colombia and another (0. ) from Eurasia. Of this number the majority occur west of the Miss-iss
. The birds of Ohio; a complete scientific and popular description of the 320 species of birds found in the state . -^•5**^ »,» -:^ HOPiNED LARK* h Life-size THE HORNED EARK. 199 THE Horned Lark bears the reputation of being the most plastic ofAmerican species—the Song Sparrow {Melospisa cinerea) alone competingwith it in this respect. A recent monograph by Mr. Harry C. Oberholser^enumerates twenty-two forms, of whic-li sixteen are described as NorthAmerican, and five Mexican, beside one from Colombia and another (0. ) from Eurasia. Of this number the majority occur west of the Miss-issippi River, where climatic conditions are more sharply differentiated, andwhere, especially in the southwest, the situation admits of that permanentresidence which is almost essential to the marked development of subspecificforms. Doubtless other forms will be elaborated, and perhaps some of the•listinctinns here pointed out will l^rn^•e inconstant, and the names proposed. Photo by E. R. Hl HORNI-;i> I,ARK-M,\I,E = untenable; but tlie fact remains tiiat Mr. Oberholser has done a splendidpiece of work, and one which serves to renew the fascination of the old prob-lem of the influence of environment upon the origin of species. There is much to be done in Ohio in accurately determining the mutualrelations and the distribution of the three forms which occur here in problem is complicated by the large number of intermediate forms whichare to be found. Indeed it is scarcely too much to say that no two HornedLarks look exactly alike. Typical specimens of each subspecies may be foundduring any season, but the majority of all birds taken will prove to be puz-zling intergrades. The reason for this I conjecture to be as follows: Oto-coris alpestris (or more properly, 0. alpcstris alpestris) attains its maximum 1 A Review of the Larks of the Genus Otocoris (Proceedings of U. S. Natl Museum, Vol XXIV. 2 This series of^ pictures taken by Mr, Warreii_ in
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1903
