274 Roosevelt Wild Life Bulletin 



in newly-mown hay fields. It often perches on posts, poles, fence 

 rails or tops of trees, usually in a conspicuous place. It sings from 

 such vantage points, and also from the ground or in flight. 



The call notes of the Meadowlark comprise a long harsh chatter, 

 a single short but similar note, and a single longer note that is slurred 

 downward with a harsh, somewhat nasal quality. The song is a 

 loud, clear whistle, consisting of from two to six notes, most com- 

 monly four or five. In the majority of songs, two or more notes are 

 slurred together, most of these slurs being downward in pitch. 

 While the song is comparatively simple, it is subject to great varia- 

 tion. Anyone who attempts to fit the words " spring o' the year " 

 to every Meadowlark song he hears will quickly note this. To some 

 songs the words fit nicely ; to many others they do not fit at all. This 

 variation is indulged in by each individual bird, the bird singing one 

 song for a time, then changing to something different. 



The nest of the Meadowlark is placed on the ground, and well 

 hidden in the tall grass. It is frequently arched over the top and 

 usually contains five or six eggs or young. 



Cowbird. Molothrus ater ater (Bodd.) 



This bird is a little larger than the English Sparrow. The entire 

 body of the male is glossy black, while the head is dark grayish 

 brown. The female is plain grayish brown all over, slightly glossy 

 above, and somewhat lighter beneath. Young birds are colored like 

 the female, but the breast is lighter and somewhat spotted with 

 darker brown. 



The Cowhird is common in the Park and found in all the open 

 country. It lives chiefly in the open meadows, feeding on the 

 g-round. It may also be seen among shade trees or in 

 orchards, and about the edges of thickets, but does not occur in 

 the dense forests. In late summer it is most frequently seen in 

 flocks, feeding on the ground in pastures, often among cattle, deriving 

 its name from this habit. 



The voice of the Cowbird is harsh or squeaky, but entirely un- 

 musical. A note heard mainly in spring probably serves as a 

 song. It varies somewhat, but a common form may be written, 

 " wee-cheea," the second note slurred downward and delivered in 

 an explosive manner that suggests a sneeze. 



The habits of the Cowbird in the nesting season are well known. 

 It is a parasite, building no nest, but depositing its eggs in the nests 

 of other birds, preferably smaller species than itself. On August 2 

 near the mouth of Wolf Run I found a young Cowbird that was 

 being fed by a Canada Warbler. 



Bobolink. Dolichony.v orysivorus (Linn.) 



This bird is a little larger than the English Sparrow. The male 

 is black, marked with patches of white on the wings and lower back, 

 and a patch of yellowish buff on the back of the neck. The female 

 is plain brown, with darker stripes. All birds, including young, 

 assume a striped plumage in late summer, when the breast is 

 distinctly yellowish. 



