Meadow-larks 



825 



the Reed-bird. Soon they pass on to become the dreaded Rice-bird of the south, 



often causing immense damage in the culti- 

 vated rice-fields ; but by the end of October 



they have departed, some by way of Cuba, 



others by way of Central America, to their 



winter residence in southern and south- 

 western Brazil. 



The Meadow-larks (Sturndla), of which 



three species and three or four forms are 



known, are also familiar birds over much 



of the United States as well as parts of 



Mexico and Cuba. They are terrestrial 



birds, about ten inches long, with a short 



tail, long legs and toes, and a long, slender 



bill. The plumage is brownish above, much 



streaked and barred with blackish, while the 



lower parts are yellow, which in the mature 



birds is set off by a black crescent on the 



chest. They generally frequent meadows, 



fields, and prairies, though the Florida form 



is not only partial to, but makes its nest in, 



open pine woods. They feed on insects and 



their larvae, especially grasshoppers and cut- 

 worms, and only to a limited extent on 



seeds. Their nests, placed on the ground 



in a tussock of grass, are often partially 



arched over, and contain from three to 



seven, but usually about five, white eggs which are more or less profusely 



speckled with brown. The Eastern Meadow- 

 lark or Field-Lark (S. magna} and indeed 

 the other forms as well is a social bird, 

 usually found in small flocks, their cheery 

 call, likened to the words you-can't-see-me, 

 being frequently given. The Western 

 Meadow-lark (S. neglecta), which is a smaller 

 and lighter-colored bird, has a totally dif- 

 ferent call. The two species just mentioned 

 are migratory, spending the winter in the 

 Southern States and Mexico, although they 

 sometimes linger until the cold weather 

 actually begins. I shot a fine male on De- 

 cember 9, 1882, in western Vermont, when 

 the ground was covered with snow to a 

 depth of three inches. On dissection the 



crop was found to contain a mass of insects, mostly beetles. 



FIG. 



227. Bobolink, 



oryzivorus. 



Dolichonyx 



FIG. 



228. Meadow-lark, 

 magna. 



Sturnella 



