116 BIRDS OF FIELD, FOREST AND PARK 



resting on the backs of the cattle as they lie 

 peacefully chewing their cuds after the morn- 

 ing's feeding is over. 



The color of the male is rich coffee-brown on 

 the head, neck and breast; elsewhere the plu- 

 mage is shiny black. The female is dark slate- 

 brown above, lighter below. They breed as far 

 north as lower Canada and winter from New 

 Jersey southward. The egg is white, evenly 

 sprinkled with cinnamon-brown. This bird is 

 eight inches in length. 



Meadow Lark. While this bird bears the 

 name Lark, it does not properly belong to that 

 distinguished family, whose best-known mem- 

 ber is the famed Skylark of Europe. The 

 Meadow Lark was not a resident of our valley 

 in my youth, but first appeared there some 

 twenty years ago and now is a very common 

 summer resident; in fact he is with us most of 

 the year, for he comes early and stays late. In 

 the Middle States he is classed as a permanent 

 resident. But the great majority of them move 

 southward in late autumn, wintering in the near 

 Southern States. I do not find them in the 

 parks of New York City, but in the open fields 

 in the suburbs, Flatbush, Flatlands and Bath 

 Beach they are common enough. 



Their ringing notes, "Spring o' the year,'^ 

 are very welcome sounds, especially in March 

 and April when the ear is eager for bird song. 

 From the topmost branch of a tree, from a 

 telephone pole, even from so low a perch as the 

 stone wall he whistles his clear and musical 

 strain. But thus exposed he is rather shy, and 



