Nebraska Ornithologists' Union 47 



tions on the bench land, and often flew to a wire fence wliich 

 bounds the road on the east side. 1 made c|uite a searcli for a 

 nest, but was unsuccessful. Ihe birds were in l)ri<Tlit plumage, 

 and, according to the farm attendants, had been there for some 

 time. 



On Julv 2, 1914, wliile m}- family and I were ])icnickinjj^ in the 

 forest plantations on the table we found a nest of the Western 

 Lark Sparrow {Cho)idcstcs graminacus strigatns }. The nest was 

 in some second growth mulberry, and w as placed about two feet 

 from the ground. It contained four birds about half grown, and 

 was identified by the behavior of the parent birds, both of which 

 flew excitedly about us. .At least a dozen adults were seen among 

 the dead trees of the black locust plat, just east of the mulberry 

 plat. Another nest, similarly placed and in the same plat, con- 

 tained four newly hatched birds, but we were unable to identify 

 this nest because of its proximity to the first one and the conse- 

 quent uncertainty as to whether the excited Lark Sparrows might 

 not be the same we saw at the first nest. 



On the same date we saw and heard two Mockingbirds ( Mii-'us 

 polvglottos ?lcucoptcrHs). Our familiarity with the bird in the 

 eastern part of the state left no question of its specific identity 

 and the song also made it certain. We could not find a nest. In 

 conversation with Superintendent Snyder of the Sub-station, at a 

 later date, he informed me that the boys had found a dead Mock- 

 ingbird on the farm, a few w^eeks before. This is my first record 

 of the Mockingbird at North Platte during the seven years of my 



residence here. 



Wilson Tout, North Platte. 



