ANDERSON — THE BIRDS OF IOWA. 319 



northward to Dakota and Manitoba, according to various author- 

 ities. It does not appear to be common anywhere, and there is 

 only one published record of its occurrence in Iowa. 



Dr. Paul Bartsch took an adult male specimen October 12, 

 1894, ill 3" old stubble field liordering the Iowa River, opposite 

 Regan's Park, lowaCit}', Iowa (" Am>iiodra»uis nelsoiii in Iowa," 

 Auk, xvi, 1899, PP- ^1^-7) ■ G. H. Berry reports the species as a 

 " rare summer resident" in Linn county, but has taken no speci- 

 mens. 



On May 27, 1904, while wading in shallow water along the 

 edge of a slough near Coralville, Johnson county, I caught fre- 

 quent glimpses of a small bird bobbing up in the sedge, and 

 finall)^ shot it — a male nckoiii. A little farther on saw another 

 one, still shyer, which finally flew out on the closely cropped pas- 

 ture near the edge of the slough, where the grass was almost too 

 short to conceal anything. The bird would crouch down at 

 intervals and then run along the ground with great speed, almost 

 like a mouse, until stopped with a load of dust shot. This proved 

 to be a female ne/soni . Both birds were very quick and nervous 

 in their actions, and liardl}' remained still for a second at a time. 



Genus Chondestes Swainson. 



247. (552). Chondestes graininaciis [Sq-y). Lark Sparrow. 



The Lark Sparrow is a common summer resident in all parts 

 of Iowa from the latter part of April until October, frequenting 

 roadsides, pastures and fields, where it nests on the ground. Two 

 broods are reared in a season, in May, June and Jul}'. 



The Lark Sparrows are not shy and the song is sweet and 

 pleasing, resembling that of the Vesper Sparrow. The species is 

 most common in the w-est, being rare east of Illinois. The type 

 specimen, described by Thomas Say, was shot at Belle Fontaine 

 on the Missouri, and they were subsequently observed at Engi- 

 neers' Cantonment (Long's Exp., 1819-20, Vol. i, p. 321). In 

 1868, J. A. Allen noted the Lark Sparrow in western Iowa as 

 " not abundant, yet at times rather frequently met with; a true 

 prairie bird as often seen out on the wild prairie as elsewhere" 

 (Mem. Bost. Soc, i, 1868. p. 495). At the present time it seems 

 to be more a bird of the cultivated fields, pastures and clearings. 



The Western Lark Sparrow {Cff. strigatiis) does not appear to 



