396 LAND BIRDS 
leaving the partridge to rear the brood. Inasmuch as the 
Towhee eggs hatch in two weeks, the young being very 
dark colored and naked, while the partridge eggs require 
three weeks and the young are lively little balls of down 
able to run about as soon as dry, the sacrifice of the 
Towhee’s brood is inevitable whenever the two are 
deposited in the same nest. 
Mr. Anthony records finding an egg of this Towhee in 
the nest of a rusty song sparrow. 
605. LARK BUNTING. — Calamospiza_ melanocorys. 
Famity: The Finches, Sparrows, ete. 
Length: 6.12-7.50. 
Adult Male in Summer: Entire plumage black or slaty, except for white 
patch on wings, and sometimes white marks on tail-feathers. Winter 
adult similar to summer female, except chin, wings, and tail black. 
Adult Female: Upper parts brownish gray streaked with dusky ; 
white wing-patch smaller and tinged with buffy ; tail, except mid- 
dle feathers, spotted with white ; under parts white, streaked on 
breast and sides. 
Young: Similar to adult female, but more buffy ; feathers of upper 
parts bordered with buffy white ; streaks on lower parts narrower. 
Geographical Distribution: Plains of Dakota and Kansas, west to 
Rocky Mountains, north to United States boundary, south in winter 
to Lower California and New Mexico; occasional west of Rocky 
Mountains. Irregular in Southern California. 
California Breeding Range: In San Diegan district. (Very rare.) 
Breeding Season: April and May. 
Nest : Of grass and fine rootlets ; lined with finer grasses and vegetable 
down ; sunk in the ground, or placed under a tuft of grass or weeds. 
Eggs: 4 or 5; plain pale blue. Size 0.85 X 0.65. 
THe Lark Bunting, in form, size, and general habits of 
song and nesting, resembles the bobolink of the Eastern 
United States in such a way as to be frequently mistaken 
for that bird by careless observers. The dark plumage 
