ICTEEID^ — THE AMERICAN ORIOLES. 317 



as the common Meadowlark ; for perhaps the majority of those who 

 may read this book are as familiar with this bird as the author, and 

 doubtless mauy are even more intimately acquainted with him. 

 Suffice it to say, therefore, that wliile not one single charge has been 

 laid at his door, so far as the author is aware, the Meadowlark is a 

 very general favorite among lovers of birds, on account of his pleas- 

 ing song, bright plumage, and pretty ways. His sweet, tender song 

 is one of the finest to be heard in our rural chstricts, and is charac- 

 terized by a delicacy of tone remarkable in a large bird. It is 

 usually interpreted by the country folks as intimating that "laziness 

 will kill you" (accent on the penultimate syllable), while others imag- 

 ine it to say : peek — you can't see me, — a very appropriate translation, 

 we tliink, in the case of a bird which, like the present, plays at 

 "liide and seek" with us in the meadows. Apropos of the song of 

 this bird, it has been said that on the prairies of Illinois a de- 

 cided change from the song of the bird of the Atlantic States may 

 be noticed, the variation being in the direction of the more power- 

 ful, melodious, and varied song of S. neglecta. But the writer has 

 been unable to detect the slightest difference, and his experience is 

 similar to that of others who have had the opportunity to compare 

 the songs of meadowlarks in the two regions. S. neglecta itself 

 occurs more or less plentifully on the prairies of the northern, cen- 

 tral, and western portions of the State; and as this bird varies 

 greatly in the character of its song with different individuals (though 

 it is always very distinct from that of S. magna), it is probable that 

 the author to whose statement we have referred heard in reality in- 

 ferior songsters (probably younger birds) of the western species, and 

 not S. magna. 



Sturnella neglecta (Aud.) 



■WESTERN MEADOWLAEK. 



Popular synonym. Western Fieldlark. 



Sttiriii'lla neglecta Aud. B. Am. vii, 184.S. !139. pi. 487.— Balrd, B. N. Am. 1858, 537; Cat. N. 



Am. B. 1850. No. 407.— Ridgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881. No. 2C4. 

 SliirtieUa magna var. neglecta CoUES, Key, 1872, 187: Check List, 1874, No. 214a.— 



B. B. & R. Hist. N. Am. B. ii, 1874, 176, pi. 34,flfr. 1. 

 Sturnella magna, b. neglecta C'ouES.B. N. W. 1874, 190. 

 Sturnella magna neglecta CouES, 2d ClieckList, lsS2,No.322. 



Hab, Western United States, oast to tlie prairie districts of ttie Mississippi Taliey, 

 iis far as central and northern Illinois, Wisoon.sin, Iowa, etc. ; south to western Texas 

 and western Mexico, as far as Colima. i 



