558 Field Museum of Natural History — Zoology, Vol. IX. 



Female: Wing, 4.14 to 4.50 inches; bill, 1.05 to 1.26 inches. 



The Meadowlark is a common summer resident throughout Illi- 

 nois and Wisconsin, frequenting the open fields and prairies. A few- 

 remain during the winter, but the majority arrive in March and leave 

 for the south again late in the fall. Its song is clear and rather 

 plaintive, and is subject to considerable variation. 



It breeds in May. The nest is built on the ground and is composed 

 of dry grass. The eggs are white, sparsely marked and speckled 

 with brown and lilac gray. They are from 4 to 6 in number, and 

 measure about 1.12 x .80 inches. 



227a. Sturnella magna argutula (Bangs.). 



Southern Meadowlark. 



Distr. : Southeastern United States, from Florida to Louisiana 

 and north through the lower Mississippi Valley to southern Illinois 

 and western Indiana. 



Special characters : Similar to 5. magna, but smaller and some- 

 what darker, the back generally showing more black; the imperfect 

 barring of middle tail feathers and tertials as in magna. 



Male: Wing, 4.25 to 4.65; bill, 1.22 to 1.40. 



Female: Wing, 3.75 to 4.05 ; bill, 1. 10 to 1.20. 



Specimens of this southern race contained in the Field Museum 

 collection were taken at Grand Chain, Pulaski County, southern Illi- 



