178 NORTH AMKHICAX lUIilJS. 



such ieiuarkal)k contrast willi tin* lial>its of our fustern l»inls. At Antelope 

 Station a ]>air of these hinls had Imilt tlirir nest under the window of tlu^ 

 ot!i('r, and sccnu'd to enjoy tlie society of the family, while the depot-master, 

 familiar with the soni^ and hahits tA' our eastern hirds, appreciatcfl the <;reat 

 dilfereiices hetween the twn forms, and called my attention t«» them. 



Mr. Allen also found this Lark everywliere abundant in ( .'olnrado, hut its 

 notes ap]»eared to him ([uite diricrent from tlmse of the representatives of 

 tliis species livin!^ to the eastwaid, in the prairie JSUites, being less varied 

 and rini^dni:, and mo'c j^mttural. 



Dr. Coojier says this biid is aiauidant in California, and resident nearly 

 throuiihout the entire Slate, br(?edinLC in the Colonido Vallev and in all other 

 districts not ([uite waterless. Their ..onujs are lively, sweet, and varied. 

 They sim,' at all sea.sons, early and late, from the ;j:round, from the tree-toj), 

 or in the air, and wlu-n unmolested are so tame as to make the house-top 

 their lavoritti perch. Kven the female has consitlerable nmsical power, and 

 cheers her mate by sin.nin;^ to jiim while he relieves her l»y sitting,' on the 

 t\Li;4s. She also has a harsh, jietulant chirp, freipiently rejeated as if in 

 an^'er. He states that they build their nest in a sli^dit dej>re.ssion under a 

 bunch of i,M'ass, and usually more or less arched over and artfully concealed. 

 The female, when tlushed, usually skulks off some distance before she Hies. 

 The cLj^^s he describes as white, with a few lari^^e ])uri>lish-brown blotches and 

 dots towards the hu%'er end, and measurini^^ l.lo indies by .85. They are 

 very obtuse in shape. 



They feed chiefly on insects, seeds, and .^rain, do no damage to the crops, 

 and destrov a vast nund»er of uo.xious insects. 



Dr. Sucklev found this bird c<uumon evervwhere in Oreuon and Washin*'- 

 ton Territory, some remaininiLj throughout every winter. In ISOo a few 

 were seen at Fort Dalles as early as March o. On the 7th he found them 

 ([uite abundant on the jdouufhed fields near Fort Vancouver. Some of these 

 had probaldy remained all tlu^ winter. In February, IHoO, he found them 

 (piite abundant at Fort Steilacoom. At Fort Dalles, by the 2d of May, he 

 obtained younn' birds nearly fletlged. 



^Ir. Dres.ser found it viuy common during winter near San Antonio, where 

 a few remain to 1 treed. 



In Arizona, according: to Dr. Cones, it is resident, but (piite rare. 



Lieutenant Couch found these birds from the liio Crande to the high 

 bottoms of the Lower Bolson de Ma])imi. Its notes he speaks of as highly 

 musical, contendinii even with the ;Mockin;»- IJird for a supremacy in song. 



Mr. Iiid^wav found the western Meadow Lark one of the most abundant 

 and characteristic l)irds of California and all fertile ])ortions of the interior 

 as far east as the Missouri, and remarks that, although closely resend»ling the 

 eastern bird in aj)pearance, its song is totally different, not a note uttered 

 by it having mon; than a very dista^it resemblance to any of the well-known 

 mayna of the eastern meadows. In the depth of its tone and the charms 



