78 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEXJM BULLETIN 211 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Central United States and eastern Canada to the Gulf 

 coast. 



Breeding range. — The eastern meadowlark breeds from south- 

 western South Dakota (Martin), northwestern Iowa (Sioux City, 

 Ashton), central-northern and northeastern Minnesota (Itasca 

 County, Two Harbors), northern Wisconsin (Lake Owen), northern 

 Michigan (Baraga, Whitefish Point), southeastern Ontario (Sault Ste. 

 Marie, North Bay), southwestern and central-southern Quebec (Blue 

 Sea Lake, Kamouraska) and, rarely, southern New Brunswick (Sussex, 

 Grand Manan), and central Nova Scotia; south to southern Nebraska 

 (Stapleton, Hastings), through east-central Kansas and central Okla- 

 homa (Woods County, Stillwater) to central Texas (Hamilton, Waco), 

 northwestern Arkansas, central-eastern Missouri (St. Louis), central 

 Illinois, southern Indiana (Wheatland), northern and eastern Ken- 

 tucky (Corydon, Monticello), northeastern Tennessee (Shady Valley), 

 central-northern North Carolina (Chapel Hill), and southeastern 

 Virginia (Cobbs Island). 



Winter range. — Winters rarely north to Nebraska, central Wis- 

 consin, central Michigan, southeastern Ontario, central Vermont, 

 southern Maine and central Nova Scotia; south to eastern Texas, 

 southern Louisiana, central Alabama, northwestern Florida, central 

 Georgia, central South Carolina, and northeastern North Carolina. 



Casual records. — Rare in northwestern Minnesota (eastern Red 

 River Valley), and east-central Ontario (Englehart). Casual in north- 

 eastern Colorado (Wray). Accidental in northwestern Quebec (east 

 Maine), and Newfoundland (St. Shotts). 



Migration. — The data deal with the species as a whole. Early 

 dates of spring arrival are: South Carolina — Greenwood, February 15. 

 North Carolina — Asheville, February 17. West Virginia — Wheeling, 

 February 20. District of Columbia — February 21. Maryland — 

 Laurel, February 28. Pennsylvania — State College, February 13 

 (average, February 27). New Jersey — Elizabeth, February 12. New 

 York — Rochester, February 21 ; Watertown, March 2. Connecticut — 

 Meriden, February 24. Rhode Island — Westerly, March 1. Massa- 

 chusetts — Groton, February 15. Vermont — Bennington, March 5. 

 New Hampshire — Sanborn ton, March 3. Maine — Cumberland County. 

 March 5. Quebec — Montreal, March 5. New Brunswick — Kent 

 Island and Woodstock, March 26. Arkansas — Helena, February 16. 

 Tennessee — Knoxville, February 16. Kentucky — Versailles and 

 Carrollton, February 17. Missouri — Kansas City, Columbia, and St. 

 Louis, February 17. Illinois — Urbana, February 14 (median of 20 

 years, February 26); Chicago, February 26 (average of 16 years, 



