BIRDS OF KANSAS. 495 



its fine, wiry, stem-like branches, occasionally with stemlets of 

 weeds and horse hairs. Eggs four or five, . 82x. 63; uniform 

 light blue; in form, oval. 



GENUS CALAMOSPIZA BONAPARTE. 



"Bill rather large, much swollen at the base; the culmen broad, gently but 

 decidedly curved; the gonys nearly straight; the commissure much angulated 

 near the base, then slightly sinuated; lower mandible nearly as deep as the 

 upper, the margins much inflected, and shutting under the upper mandible. 

 Nostrils small, strictly basal. Rictus quite stiffly bristly. Legs large and stout. 

 Tarsi a little longer than the middle toe; outer toe rather longer than inner, 

 and reaching to the concealed base of the middle claw; hind toe reaching to the 

 base of the middle claw; hind claw about as long as its toe. Claws all strong, 

 compressed, and considerably curved. Wings long and pointed; the first four 

 nearly equal, and abruptly longest; the tertials much elongated, as long as the 

 primaries. Tail a little shorter than the wings, slightly graduated; the feathers 

 rather narrow and obliquely oval, rounded at the end." 



Calamospiza melancorys STEJX. 



LARK BUNTING. 

 PLATE XXX. 



Summer resident in the middle and western portions of the 

 State; irregular; some seasons quite common, others rare. 

 Arrive about the first of May; begin laying about the first of 

 June; leave in October. 



B. 377. R. 256. C. 286. G. 128, 250. U. 605. 



HABITAT. From western Minnesota and middle Texas, west 

 to the Rocky Mountains; south in winter to northern Mexico, 

 and occasionally southwesterly through western Arizona and 

 southern California into Lower California; breeding from mid- 

 dle Kansas north to a little beyond the United States bound- 

 ary. 



SP. CHAR. Adult male, in summer: Uniform bla<?k, with more or less of a 

 slaty cast, the middle and greater wing coverts white, forming a very conspicuous 

 patch on wing. Adult female: Above brownish gray, streaked with dusky, the 

 white wing patch smaller; lower parts white, streaked on breast and sides with 

 dusky. Adult male, in winter: Similar to adult female, but feathers of lower 

 parts (especially on belly) black beneath the surface, this showing when feath- 

 ers are disarranged. Young: Similar to adult female, but more buffy; the feath- 

 ers of the upper parts bordered with buify white, and streaks on lower parts 

 narrower. (Ridgway.) 



Stretch of 

 Length. wing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 7.20 11.50 3.50 3.10 .95 .56 



Female... 6.90 11.00 3.30 2.90 .95 .53 



