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dwelling houses and outbuildings upon the plantation, exhibiting 

 but little fear of man; while in the north during the same season 

 I have many times noticed three or four of them in the middle 

 of a country road where the snow has disappeared and left a 

 small patch of ground bare. Here they would be engaged in 

 picking the grain from the droppings of horses that had passed, 

 and were often in company with Juncos and Snow buntings. 

 Practically it may be said that the Meadow-lark rarely or never 

 does any serious injury to our grain fields, as he is more partial 

 during all the warmer parts of the year to a varied list of insects 

 upon which he feeds, as well as the seeds of certain grasses and 

 other plants. 



Just at this writing I do not happen to remember of ever hav- 

 ing seen a Meadow-lark very far within the boundary line of 

 heavy timber, although one may occasionally be met with in a 

 limited open space more or less closely surrounded with trees. 

 Into such places they alight sometimes in order to capture or 

 feed upon the insects that have perchance congregated there. 



When mating time arrives, as spring comes round, the old 

 male birds of this species exhibit a very considerable amount of 

 excitement, and the study of their quaint courtship is replete 

 with interest. Two males will sometimes chase a female, only 

 apparently reluctant, all about some old pasture field, singing to 

 her at the top of their voices; while in flight their wings, by the 

 tremulousness of their motion, indicate the passion so keenly 

 felt by their owners. 



Should the semi-blind trio become exhausted by these efforts, 

 all may come to alight upon some convenient fence-rail, where, 

 with a fervent consort upon either side of her, the coveted fe- 

 male is treated to a united shower of notes, accompanied by a 

 wing-flipping and a tail-spreading, such as no hen in all the 

 genus could resist, whereupon she is obliged to make her choice 

 quickly, and with her chosen one flies away. 



Meadow-larks build their nests upon the ground, usually some- 

 what below the surface, where it is overgrown by some tussock 

 of grass, a bramble-briar, or other like protection. This chosen 

 and natural excavation is lined neatly with fine grasses, the 

 same also being used to form a partial overarching dome, the 

 latter being helped out by the growing grass or leaves above the 

 spot. From four to seven eggs are laid during the early part of 

 June, the young hatching out in about fifteen days thereafter. 



