464 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Dr. Coues, in Birds of the Northwest, 1874 (p. 192), writes: "In April, 

 before pairing, hundreds used to frequent daily the parade ground of Fort 

 Randall, where, as the grass was yet scarcely sprouted, good opportunity was 

 offered of observing their characteristic habit — one not so generally known as it 

 should be, since it is related to the peculiar shape of the bill. The birds may 

 be seen scattered all over the ground, busily tugging at something; and on walk- 

 ing over the scene of their operations, the ground, newly softened by the spring 

 thaw, is seen to be riddled with thousands of little holes, which the bu-ds make 

 in search of food. The holes are quite smooth, not a turning over of the siu^face 

 of the ground, but clean borings, like those made by sinking in the end of a 

 light walking stick, just as if the birds inserted their bills and then worked them 

 about till the holes were of sufficient size. Whether they bored at random, or 

 were guided by some sense in finding their prey, and what particular objects 

 they wei'e searching for, I did not ascertain; but the habit was so fixed and so 

 continually persevered in as to attract general attention." 



Although not quite certain, I think I can account for the actions of the 

 birds observed by the Doctoi*. They were looking for and feeding on the eggs 

 of the locust, which are deposited just below the surface of the ground. I have 

 noticed the same thing at Camp Harney, Oregon, where these bird.^ were like- 

 wise very abundant. One or two pairs nested every season on tlie edge of the 

 parade ground, among bunches of dry grass growing beside the diiveway around 

 it, and within a few yards of the officers' quarters. 



In the more northern portions of its breeding range nidification ordinarily 

 commences about the first week in May, rarely earlier, and it takes usually about 

 a week to complete the nest. This is generally placed in a slight natural depres- 

 sion, or in one made by the birds, at the base of a bunch of thick rye grass, the 

 dry blades of the previous year hanging down from the side and hiding the nest 

 naturally, or a number of blades are pulled down, covering the nest and forming 

 an arch over it. Some of these structures are exceedingly well hidden, and 

 show considerable ingenuity on the part of the builders. Occasionally where 

 the grass is dense enough to permit it, the nest is approached by a covered way, 

 leading to the nest proper, sometimes fully 4 feet away. The entrance resem- 

 bles the runway of some small rodent. The inner lining of the nest consists 

 ordinarily of diy grass, on which the eggs are deposited, and resembles that of 

 the common Meadowlark in every respect. 



Mr. A. W. Anthony writes that he found a nest containing six eggs in an 

 open field, near Beaverton, Oregon, May 21, in which incubation had commenced, 

 the nest being placed in a hole in the ground fully 8 inches deep; and at San 

 Quentin, Lower California, he found it nesting in the salt marshes about the 

 bay, a set of four fresh eggs being taken on March 21. 



Throughout the greater part of its range full sets of eggs are usually found 

 during the last half of May and up to the middle of June. In western Texas, 

 in Concho and Tom Green counties, Mr. William Lloyd reports finding two 

 fresh eggs of this subspecies on March 27, 1882, and a full set of five eggs on 

 April 15, 1883. 



