EASTERN MEADOWLARK 59 



playing and posturing, but she seldom displayed, usually continuing 

 to feed quietly near him." 



The usual courtship display of the male is summarized by Saunders 

 as follows: "Taking a direct stance near the female he raises his body 

 to its full height, stretches his neck to its full length, and points his 

 bill to the zenith. The tail is fanned, showing all the white, and is 

 also jerked up and down; the wings are flirted rapidly over the back, 

 either simultaneously or alternately; and the breast feathers are fluffed 

 out to form a lovely shield of contrasting yellow and black. The 

 beert note may be given. He may spring from the ground as has been 

 described, even flashing his tail in midair. 



"The female's reaction to this performance is to raise her body to 

 its full height, stretch her neck, and point her bill ; flashing her wings 

 and tail in answer to his song and chattering or giving a beert. 



"Throughout this period they spend much of their time together. 

 When he is aloft singing she is usually feeding or perching nearby. 

 As a rule, however, she frequents an elevated perch much less often 

 than the male and seems less sure of herself while doing it. If he is 

 singing, she often answers each song with soft conversational chatter, 

 " dzert-tet-tet-tet-tet." They seem to enjoy their companionship very 

 much, remaining together in long flights across the territory to feeding 

 grounds and maintaining this proximity while feeding; and occasion- 

 ally indulging in a sexual flight, the male singing a beautiful flight song. 

 After such a flight he often repeats his sexual advances in a more or 

 less obvious manner, but she responds either weakly or not at all. 

 While feeding, they pass hours in which little if any show of sexual 

 interest is witnessed." 



Nesting. — The meadowlark is primarily a bird of the grasslands, 

 meadows, and pastures; and it is in such places that we usually find 

 its nest. I have also found them in corn, alfalfa, and clover fields 

 and weedy orchards, as well as in grassed islands among plowed fields. 

 The nest is made of dried grasses lined with finer materials. In 

 Illinois I have found nests lined with small amounts of horsehair; in 

 Maine, wiry grasses and even pine needles are sometimes employed for 

 this purpose. Most of the nests have a dome-shaped roof constructed 

 of grass more or less interwoven with the attached and growing parts 

 of the clump of grass or weeds against which it is built. The interior 

 of the nest is open to view from only one side, and this opening may be 

 more or less obscured by overhanging grasses. Sometimes there is a 

 covered passageway to the nest especially to those built in a field 

 where the tall grass was not cut during the previous season. Some of 

 the nests are so well hidden that they are difficult to find, and are 

 discovered only when the bud is flushed by the accidental encroach- 

 ment of someone walking through the field. The colors and markings 



