Jan., 1909. Birds of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 



559 



nois, in April, 1897. Others from the same locahty are apparently 

 intermediate in size and coloration between this and 5. magna. 



The measurements of four selected specimens are as follows : 



^^o- 5737. male, April 16, 1897; wing, 4.44; bill, 1.25. 



No. 5735, male, April 14, 1897; wing, 4.54; bill, 1.27. 



No. 5733, male, April 16, 1897; wing, 4.63; bill, 1.24. 



No. 5734, male, April 17, 1897; wing, 4.65; bill, 1.25. 



228. Sturnella neglecta Aud. 

 Western Meadowlark. 



Distr.: "Western United States, southwestern British Provinces 

 and northwestern Mexico; east to prairie districts of Mississippi Valley 

 in Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Indian Territory, and Texas; occa- 

 sionally to Illinois, Wisconsin, and southern Michigan." (Ridgway.) 



Special characters : General plumage, grayer and paler than in 

 5. magna; yellow of the under parts, paler, the yellow of throat usu- 

 ally extending laterally more or less upon the malar region; middle 

 tail feathers and tertails with distinct and separate bars extending 

 across the feather and not broken at the shaft. General upper plu- 

 mage, paler and grayer; the rufous and black markings of 5. magna 

 replaced by gray and dark brown; flanks and under tail coverts, 

 whitish. 



Male: Wing, 4.60 to 5.09; bill, 1.20 to 1.44. 



Female: Wing, 4.12 to 4.55; bill, 1.08 to 1.26. 



The Western Meadowlark is apparently of rather rare occurrence 

 in Illinois, but more common in Wisconsin. Nelson records a speci- 

 men taken near Chicago the last of May, 1876. Ridgway states that 

 he has heard its unmistakable song on the prairies of Richland Co., 

 (111.), but was unable to obtain a specimen (Orn. of 111., Vol. I, 1889, 

 p. 317). In Wisconsin Kumlien and Hollister cite numerous records 

 and state : "In many parts of the state the western meadowlark breeds 

 more or less commonly." (Birds of Wisconsin, 1903, p. 88.) 



The song of the Western Meadowlark is quite different and readily 

 distinguishable from that of the eastern bird. 



