62 NOKTJI AMERIC^VN BIRDS. 



as closely allied to the Bobolink, and described it as a IMichonyx. He 

 describes the birds as gregarious, consorting with the Cowbirds, and, at tlie 

 time he met with them, uttering most delightful songs. Towards evening 

 they sometimes saw tliese birds in all directions around them, on the hilly 

 grounds, rising at intervals to some height, hovering and ila]i])ing their wings, 

 and, at the same time, giving forth a song wliich Mr. Nuttall describes as 

 being something like vxd-ircct-wt-wt-wt, notes that were between the huri'ied 

 warble of the Bobolink and the melody of a Skylark. It is, he says, one 

 (if tlie sweetest songsters of tlie prairies, is tame and unsuspicious, and the 

 wliole employment of the little bund seemed to be an ardent emulation of 

 song. 



It feeds on the ground, and, as stated by Mr. Townsend, may be seen in 

 Hocks of from sixty to a hundred together. It was, so far as tlieir observa- 

 tions went, found inhabiting exclusively the wide grassy plains of the Platte. 

 They did not see it to the west of the Black Hills, or the first range of the 

 Kocky Mountains. 



To Mr. Nuttall's account Mr. Townsend adds that this bird is strictly gre- 

 garious, that it feeds on the ground, around which it runs in the manner of the 

 Grass Finch, to whicli, in its habits, it seems to be somewhat allied. Mr. 

 Townsend adds that, as their caravan moved along, large flocks of these birds, 

 sometimes to the nundxn- of si.xty or a hundred individuals, were started 

 from the ground, and tlie piebald appearance of the males and females pro- 

 miscuously intermingled presented a very striking and by no means unpleas- 

 ing effect. While the Hock was engiiged in feeding, some of the males were 

 observed to rise suddeidy to considerable heigiit in the air, and, poising 

 themselves over their companions with their wings in constant and rapid 

 motion, continued nearly stationary. In this situation they poured forth a 

 numl)er of very lively and sweetly modulated notes, and, at the expiration 

 of about a minute, descended to the ground and moved aljout as before. 

 Mr. Townsend also states that he met with none of these birds west of the 

 Black Hills. 



!Mr. Bidgway also mentions that though he found the.se birds very abun- 

 dant on the plains east of the Black Hills, he met with only a single speci- 

 men to the westward of that range. This was at Parley's Park, among the 

 Waiisatch ^lountains. 



Dr. fiaml)el, in his paper on the Birds of California, .states that Ik; met 

 with small flocks of this handsome species in tlie bushy plains, and along the 

 margins of streams, during the winter months. And Dr. Ifeermaim states 

 tiiat he also found tliis species numerous in California, New ^lexico, and 

 Texas. Arriving in the last-named State in May, lie found this sj^ecies there 

 already mated, and about to commence the duties of incul)atif)ii. 



Mr. Dresser found these birds common near San Antonio during the win- 

 ter. In December he noticed several Hocks near Ivigle Pass. Tiiey frequented 

 the niiids, seeking the horse-dung. They were c^uite shy, and when disturbed 



