LARK BUNTING 643 



Cameron (1908) found that iu Dawson and Custer counties in 

 Montana nests were more plentiful in fenced pastures than elsewhere 

 and suggests that this observation is explained by the bird's fondness 

 for perching on the ^vires. 



Various observers have encountered greater or lesser difficulties 

 in attempting to locate the nest of the lark bunting, although perhaps 

 the majority report no special trouble. A typical report of the dif- 

 ficulties occasionally encountered is that of Keyser (1902) : 



At first only male buntings were seen. Surely, I thought, there must be fe- 

 males in the neighborhood, for when male birds are singing so lustily about a 

 place, their spouses are usually sitting quietly on nests somewhere in bush or 

 tree or grass. I hunted long for a nest, trudging about over the meadow, exam- 

 ining many a grass-tuft and weed-clump, hoping to flush a female and discover 

 her secret; but my quest was vain. It is strange how difficult it is to find nests in 

 Colorado, either on the plains or in the mountains. The birds seem to be adept 

 in the fine arts of concealment and secret-keeping. Presently several females 

 were seen flying off over the fields and returning, obviously to feed their young. 

 There was now some colorable prospect of finding a nest. A mother bird appeared 

 with a worm in her bill, and you may rely upon it I did not permit her to slip 

 from my sight until I saw her drop to the ground, hop about stealthily for a few 

 moments, then disappear, and presently fly up minus the worm. Scarcely daring 

 to breathe, I followed a direct course to the weed-clump from which she had 

 risen. And there was a nest, sure enough — my first lark bunting's — set in a 

 shallow pit of the ground, prettily concealed and partly roofed over by the flat 

 and spreading weed-stalk. Four half-fledged youngsters lay panting in the little 

 cradle * * *. I stepped back a short distance and watched the mother bird 

 returning with another mouthful of "goodies", and feeding her bantlings four. 

 She was not very shy, and simply uttered a fine chirp when I went too close to 

 her nestlings, while her gallant consort did not even chirp, but tried to divert my 

 attention by repeatedly curveting in the air and singing his choicest measures. 



On the other hand, Cameron (1908) wrote that he observed five 

 nests in a small pasture while merely riding through it on horseback. 

 Similarly, Saunders (1921) reports that the lark bunting was so 

 abundant in the Gallatin Valley of Montana that many people not 

 acquainted with birds described the species to him, "telling how 

 common it was, and how easily nests could be found." 



Eggs. — The lark bunting lays from three to six eggs to a set, usually 

 four or five, rarely seven. Sometimes two broods are raised in a 

 season. The eggs are ovate, approaching short-ovate, in shape. 

 Their color is a light greenish-blue, rarely lightly sprinkled with reddish- 

 brown spots. The measurements of 50 eggs average 21.9 by 16.8 

 millimeters; the eggs showing the four extremes measure 24-1 by 

 17.0, 21.8 by 18.0, 19.1 by 16.3, and 21.8 by 13.7 millimeters. 



Young. — The period of incubation for the lark bunting is given by 

 Cameron (1908) as about 12 days. Cameron also states that the 

 male shares the incubation duties with his mate. A few other re- 

 ports in the literature tend to support this. Benckeser (1955) is 



