34 



THE IOWA OKXITHOLOGIST. 



have in ray cabinet a set of 6 eggs 

 taken May 25, '91 from a nest in 

 a pasture near town." (C. R. Ball). 

 "Eg-g-s 3 to 6"(J. Eug-eneLaw.) 

 The compiler has a set of six 

 eggs taken May 26, 1891. Nests 

 a hollow in ground in flax stubble 

 field, lined with grass. Incubation 

 slight. "Eggs g-encrally 4 or 5" 

 (Jackson Co., H. J. Giddings.) 

 "I once found a nest of this 

 species containing j'oung that 

 was placed within three feet of 

 the wagon rut to a road. The 

 travel on this road would 

 rather exceed than fall under 

 twenty teams a day. I often 

 find one or more eggs of the cow- 

 bird in the nests of this species. 

 On March 23, '94 I took a set of 

 three] eggs, incubation slight. 

 After the above date we had 

 several light snowstorms, one of 

 which was about three inches in 

 depth. After this I s*iw young 

 birds which I know must have 

 survived?^ the storm. "( Marshall 

 Co. A. P. Godley.) "They arc 

 very fond of alighting on fence- 

 posts to sing. Have never seen 

 one in a tree. This species has 

 the habit of arising to a consider- 

 able hight, singing as they arise 

 then closing their wings to des- 

 cjnd similar to the skylark; have 

 n^vcr le.n this performance 

 except in spring; sings all the 

 season and at all times, but more 

 in early spring. "(Jackson Co. H. 

 J. Gid.lings. ) "In Springtime 

 th2 bii'ds are frequently seen per- 

 ched on a fencepost or a little 



rise of ground, uttering- a low but 

 rather pleasing song of a few 

 notes. Once in early March I 

 heard a Prairie Horned Lark sing- 

 while soaring up high in the 

 air. In the Springtime when 

 they are in pairs if one of the 

 birds be shot the other bird will 

 frequently fly down where the 

 dead bird drops. "(Winnebag-o Co. 

 R. M. Anderson.) The small 

 black tufts of feathers, from 

 which the bird gets the name 

 "horned" lark; are seldom eleva- 

 ted; only in time of excitement 

 perhaps. The birds show little 

 fear of men or animals, They 

 bear in Buena Vista Co, the 

 names of "snowbird", "ground 

 bird", and "wheat bird," The last 

 name is well deserved for they 

 are very fond of ^Jj^eat, and they 

 and the LaplaiiAi^Longspurs will 

 materially dinimi^h the stand if 

 tite seed is s,o-^i and left uncov- 

 ffed for any ' length of time. 

 ■IJliey are permanent residents, 

 jd^yls^ing- mild winters at least, and 

 rear three broods in a season, 

 lowans all love this hardy and 

 lonely representative of the 

 Akiudidae in the Hawkeye State. 



Famii^y ICTERID.E. 



Black birds. Orioles. Etc. 



494. Dolichonyx oryzivorus, (Linn.) 



BOBOLINK. 



This species is quite common 

 throughout the state, in all favor- 

 ite lociilities; arriving about the 

 last of April or early in May, 



