THE IOWA ORNITHOLOGIST. 



41 



501b. Sturnella magna neglecta (Aud.) 



WESTERN MEADOW LARK. 



"One Vv^as killed at Iowa City 

 this year. This species is grad- 

 ually moving' eastward. Quite 

 common in Fayette Co. "(Paul 

 Bartsch. ) "Is fairly common 

 summer resident in Lyon Co. and 

 is found in same locations as Stiir- 

 nella magna:\Q,. R. Ball.) Mr. 

 H. J. Gidding-s writes of noting- 

 a specimen in the spring- of 1892, 

 in Jackson Co. This species is 

 very rare, if found, in most parts 

 of the state. 



506. Icterus spuriys. (Linn,) 

 ORCHARD ORIOLE. 



A plentiful summer resident 

 throug-hout the state. "Builds 

 its beautiful nest, which is com- 

 posed of g-reen g-rass, nearer the 

 ground than the nest of the 

 Baltimore Oriole. The following- 

 are three sets I have taken; 



June 29, 1891, 1-3, incubation 

 advanced. Nest in Lombardy 

 poplar. 



June 25, 1892, 1-4, and one 

 Co'wbird's eg-g-. Fresh. Nest in 

 Lombardy poplar, 15 feet from 

 g-round, and composed of green- 

 ish grass and lined with cotton. 



June 24, 1893. 1-5, Incubation 

 advanced. Nest in willow 10 ft. 

 from the ground. "(R. M. Ander- 

 son.) Rather more plentiful in 

 Van Buren Co., than the Balti- 

 more Oriole. Nests, not exactly 



pendant, but placed in the forked 

 twigs of a tree, and not quite as 

 ingeniously made as the Balti- 

 more's nest." (Wm. Savage.) 

 "Usually nests in orchard trees; 

 have found the nest in a spruce 

 tree 30 "eet from the ground. The 

 male is a nice singer in the 

 spring. The last one seen Aug. 

 29, 1894. "(H. J. Giddings.) "The 

 nest is placed from 5 to 30 ft from 

 the ground, in some tree in the 

 orchard or near the farm-house. 

 The song of the male is very 

 pleasing, it sings mostly in the 

 morning. Only one brood in a 

 season. "(W. S. Savage.) "Com- 

 mon from first week in May untill 

 the middle of September. Major- 

 ity of nests are in orchards and 

 box-elder trees. Nest hardly 

 pendant. "(Lynds Jones.) "Arri- 

 ved at Iowa City May 10, 1894. 

 Not as common near Iowa City as 

 it is near Burlington, I have a 

 nest collected near the latter 

 place, which is constructed of a 

 white fiber which had been sent 

 from New Orleans wrapping some 

 flowers, and had been discarded, 

 it is quite a unique affair and 

 speaks well for the architectual 

 powers of the bird. "(Paul Bar- 

 tsch.) "Common summer res- 

 ident in Buena Vista Co. Fre- 

 quents groves and trees which 

 border waters. In groves the 

 nest is usually situated a fairly 

 good distance from the ground. 

 In trees bordering waters, notably 

 those around Pickerel Lake the 



