1914] Bryant: Economic Status of the Western Meadowlark 405 



The principal complaint lodged against the western meadow- 

 lark has been that this bird destroys sprouting grain. The field 

 investigations have proved that this complaint has a real foun- 

 dation. An interesting side-light on this habit is afforded by a 

 paragraph from Coues's (1874) "Birds of the Northwest": 

 "In April, before pairing, hundreds used to frequent daily the 

 parade ground of Fort Randall, where, as the grass was yet 

 scarcely sprouted, good opportunity was offered of observing 

 their characteristic habit one not so generally known as it should 

 be, since it is related to the peculiar shape of the bill. The birds 

 may be seen scattered all over the ground, busily tugging at 

 something; and on walking over the scene of their operations, 

 the ground, newly softened by the spring thaw, is seen to be 

 riddled with thousands of little holes, which the birds make in 

 search of food. These holes are quite smooth not a turning 

 over of the surface of the ground, but a clean boring, like that 

 made by sinking in the end of a light walking stick; just as if 

 the birds inserted the bill and then worked it about until the 

 hole was of sufficient size. Whether they bored at random, or 

 were guided by some sense in finding their prey, and what par- 

 ticular objects they were searching for, I did not ascertain ; but 

 the habit was so fixed and so continually persevered in as to 

 attract general attention." 



This habit of boring into the ground to obtain sprouting seeds 

 and possibly insects is therefore a habit of old standing, and is 

 not one recently developed. 



A careful investigation of a sprouting grain field where 

 meadowlarks are abundant will demonstrate to any one that the 

 western meadowlark pulls sprouting grain. At times the drill 

 row is followed for distances of four to six feet and apparently 

 every sprouted kernel is pulled up (pi. 21, fig. 1). With its 

 long awl-like bill, the meadowlark bores down beside the sprout, 

 grips the kernel and pulls it up. The kernel is occasionally 

 eaten, but more often it is simply crushed in the bill to obtain 

 the milk and then dropped (pi. 21, fig. 2). Consequently 

 stomach examination cannot be relied upon to furnish accurate 

 evidence as to the total amount of grain thus destroyed. 



Certain fields examined have given evidence that the deeper 

 furrows made by drills w r ere most frequented by the birds. 



