LARKS 



325 



remain all winter, (and very likely it does remain) but proof 

 is still lacking. 



They run along- the highways and through the grassy, 

 weedy fields in late winter, uttering a "we-tseet" or "weechy- 

 weer." At such times they consume large amounts of weed 

 seeds such as Kumea\ Foly^onwn, Chenopod'mm, Ambrosia, 

 Setaria and other grass and weed seeds, as well as what they 

 can glean from the horse droppings in the highway. In the 

 summer they take large quantities of insects such as beetles, 

 grasshoppers, crickets, moths, worms and caterpillars. I have 

 seen them take on the wing small moths which they (lushed 

 from the grass and caught much as a Flycatcher would. 



The male bird begins to sing in late March or early April, 

 uttering a soft rather pleasant "weechy, weechy, weer-weer" 

 either on the ground or while in the air essaying a short flight, 

 or sometimes from a commanding perch on a fence or large 

 rock. The nesting season seems to be rather later in Maine 

 than in other states. Mr. Swain found a nest containing four 

 eggs at Pishon's Ferry, May 14, 1901. Mr. E. R. Chadwick 

 found a nest and four eggs near Week's Mills, May 31, 1906. 

 The nests are built on the ground, in a grass field or among 

 the weeds of pastures and cultivated farm lands, usually sit- 

 uated in a slight hollow at the foot of a bunch of grass or 

 weeds. A typical nest before me is composed of grass blades 

 and a few weed fibers and is one and three-fourths inches high 

 outside, one inside, four and a half in diameter externally 

 and two and a half internally. 



The four eggs measure 0.90 x 0.62, 0.87 x 0.62, 0.86 x 

 0.63, 0.90 X 0.64. This set was fresh May 12. Three to 

 five but more often four eggs are laid, these are grayish drab 

 or sometimes perceptibly whitish in color,and profusely blotched, 

 sprinkled and peppered with brownish. Some eggs are wreathed 

 about the larger end and others have a few blackish lines or 

 scrawls on them. As soon as the first brood have left the nest 



