Meadowlark WESTERN BIRDS 



the most inspiring of songs. It fills at least one listener 

 with patriotism for the State, and with the pure joy of 

 living. Pessimism and gloom must vanish before it and 

 only joy and good cheer reign. 



Olive Thorne Miller says of the Colorado songster: 

 "The whole breadth and grandeur of the great West is 

 in this song, its freedom, its wildness, the height of its 

 mountains, the sweep of its rivers, the beauty of its 

 flowers — all in the wonderful performance." 



The bird does not realize how wonderful is this per- 

 formance for he sings from the ground, a fence post, 

 telephone pole, or on the wing, as fancy urges. 



A single note one often hears is a shrill whistle, and 

 another which both birds give is a long trill. When 

 startled a chuck, chuck note is used. 



Government Bulletins tell us that Meadowlarks are, 

 economically, of great value, although they sometimes 

 eat grain. They are especially fond of the boll weevil, 

 that foe of the cotton grower, as well as the alfalfa 

 weevil. Twenty-six per cent of the diet is beetles, half 

 of which are predacious ground beetles. Caterpillars 

 form eleven per cent of the food and are eaten in every 

 month in the year. Among these are many cutworms 

 and the well-known army worm. Grasshoppers are 

 favorite food, being eaten in every month and almost 

 every day. The vegetable food consists of grain and 

 weed seeds. 



In Bulletin No. 236, sent out by the agricultural sta- 

 tion of the California State University, Dr. Harold C. 

 Bryant, who made the investigation, reports that in 

 certain sections of the State the birds do harm to sprout- 

 ing grain by following the drill-row, boring down beside 

 the sprout, and pulling out the kernel. Oats appear to 

 be preferred although barley and wheat are taken. Field 

 corn and sorghum are not damaged. 

 In some fields the birds had followed the drill-row for 

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