68 THE WESTERN EVENING GSDSBEAK. 



tlic ajj^rcgate the saviiij^ t>> tlie nation amounts to some luimlrcds of thous- 

 ands of dollars each year. Even in winter, wlien a few individuals or iKca- 

 sional companies of Larks are still to \>c found, a large projxirtion of their 

 food consists of hardy i)cetles and other insects, while weed-seed and scatter- 

 ing grain is laid under triimte, as it were, reluctantly. 



It goes without saying that we cannot regard this bird as lawful game. 

 We exempt the horse from slaughter not Ixrcause its tiesh is unfit for finxl — 

 it is reallv verv sapid — Init liecause the animal has endeared itself to our race 

 by generatitnis of faithful service. We |>lace the horse in another category, 

 that (»f animal friend. And the human race, the best of it. has some time 

 since disc<)vered cominmctions al)out eating its friends. Make friends with 

 this IxMinv bird, the Meadowlark, and you will lie ashamed thenceforth to 

 even discuss assassination. Fricassee of prima donna! Voice of morning 

 cit broihcttc! Hird-of-merry-checr on toast! Faugh! .And yet that sort 

 of thing passed muster a generation ago — does yet in the darker |)arts of 

 Europe! 



No. 23. 



WESTERN EVENING GROSBEAK. 



.\. (1. V. Xo. 514a. Hesperiphona vespertina montana Kidgway. 



Description. — Adult male: I-\>rchcad ami Mipcrciliarics ganiboge yclKiw; 

 feathers about base of bill, lores, and cmwn black: winj,'s black with large white 

 patch formed by tips of inner secondaries and tertials ; tail black ; remaining 

 plumage sooty olive brown about head and neck, sliadinj,' thru olive and olive- 

 green to yellow on winj,' an<l under tail-coverts. Hill bluish born-color and citron 

 yellow: feet brownish. Adult fctnalc: Cicneral color deei) smoky brownish gray 

 or biiffv brown, darker on the head, lighter on wings, lighter, more bulTy. on .sides, 

 shading to dull whitish on throat and abdomen, tinjjed with yellowish green on 

 hind-neck, clearing to light yellow (»n axillars and inider wing-coverts: a small 

 clear white patch at base of inner |)rimaries: white blotches on tips of u|)per 

 tail-coverts and inner webs of tail-feathers in varying |>roi)ortions. Length alxiut 

 8.00 (203.2) : wing 4..v> I 111.3) : ^^il 2.42 (01.41 : ''dl .82 (20.8) ; depth at base 

 .62 ( 15.01 : tarsus. 81 ( 20.3). Female very slightly sm.-illcr. 



Recognition Marks. — Chewink size: olive-brown coloration with black and 

 white in masse-i on wings: large, conical beak distinctive; high-pitched call note. 



Nesting. — Has not yet been found breeding in Washington but undoubtedly 

 does so. W'st (as reported from New Mexico): princi])ally cnmjxised of tine 

 riMitlets with some L'snea moss and a few sticks, settled upon horizontal branches 

 of pine or tir, near tip, and at considerable heights : in lo<ise colonies. Eygs: 4, 

 "in color, size, form, and texture indistinguishable from those of the Red-winged 

 Hlackbird" (Hirtwell). 



