240 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS EGGS. 



498d. Thick-billed Red-wing. A. p. fortis. 



Range. Breeds in the interior of British America; in winter south through 

 the Plains to southwestern United States. 



498e. San Diego Red-wing. A. p. neutralis. 



Range. Great Basin between the Rockies and Sierra Nevadas, from British 

 Columbia to Mexico, wintering in the southern parts of its range. 



498f. Northwestern Red-wing. A.p.caurinus. 

 Range. Pacific coast from California to British Columbia. 



499. Bicolored Blackbird. Agelaius gubernator californicus. 



Range. Pacific coast, west of the Sierra Nevadas, from 

 Washington south to Lower California. 



fV* The males of this species are distinguished from those of 



^^r: the Red-wings by the absence of light margins to the 



C^T, orange red shoulders. They are fairly abundant in their 



*? V C*"S restricted localities, building their nests in swamps about 



;4|P^ ponds and streams. The nests are like those of the Red- 

 ^QBPP wings, and the eggs are similar and with the same great 



[Dull bluish white.] variations in markings, but average a trifle smaller; size 

 .95 x .67. 



500. Tricolored Blackbird. Agelaius tricolor. 



Range. Pacific coast of California and Oregon; rare east - 



of the Sierra Nevadas. 



This species differs from the Red-wing in having the 

 shoulders a much darker red and the median coverts white 

 instead of buffy. Like the last species they have a limited 

 range and are nowhere as common as are the Red-wings in 

 the east. Their nests are like those of the Red-wings and 

 the eggs are not distinguishable in their many variations, rr)nl1 hl ., 

 but they appear to be more often lined than those of the 

 former. 



501. Meadowlark. Sturnella magna. 



^^tfflMfegfe, Range. North America east of the Plains and north 



to Nova Scotia and Manitoba; winters from New Eng- 

 land southward. 



This handsome dweller among our fields and mead- 

 ows is frequently heard giving his high, pleasing, 

 flute-like whistle with its variations; his beautiful 

 yellow breast with its black crescent is not so fre- 

 quently seen in life, for they are usually quite shy 

 birds. They artfully conceal their nests on the 

 ground among the tall grass of meadows, arching 



them over with dead grass. During May or June they lay four to six white 

 eggs, speckled over the whole surface with reddish brown and purplish; size 

 1.10 x .80. 



50 1 a. Texas Meadowlark. Sturnella magna hoopesi. 



Range. A brighter and slightly smaller variety found along the Mexican 

 border. 



