see me/ — a very appropriate translation, 

 we think, in the case of a bird which, 

 Hke this one, plays at 'hide and seek' with 

 us in the meadow/' But syllabic render- 

 ing of this tender song, "one of the fin- 

 est to be heard in our rural districts," 

 is very far from satisfactory for it con- 

 veys no impression of the wonderful 

 sweetness of its notes. The song must 

 be heard to be appreciated. 



The Meadowlark's power of flight is 

 quite limited, its body being quite heavy 

 and its wings too short for prolonged and 

 rapid flying. In rising from the ground 

 its movements are laborious and awk- 

 ward, resembling, somewhat, those of a 

 young bird. . When it has risen a few 

 feet, it flies straight away by alternate 

 periods of rapid movements of the wings 

 and short distances of sailing. Its flight 

 is similar to that of the quail but is more 

 regular and not as rapid. With the 

 exception of the breeding season, the 

 Meadowlarks are more or less gregari- 

 ous, especially in the fall, when a num- 

 ber of families unite and seek their food 

 together, though each one seems to roam 

 over the field independently of its fel- 

 lows. However, if one of their number 

 is flushed and takes wings, the others 

 within hearing will usually follow its 

 example. 



Major Bendire believed that the Mea- 

 dowlarks remained paired for life. It 

 is certainly true that one is seldom found 

 alone. Both sexes assist in the building 

 of their home, which is always on the 

 ground by the side of a tuft of grass or 

 a bunch of weeds. Either a natural de- 

 pression is selected or one is scratched by 

 the birds. The nest is a snug but unpre- 

 tentious structure of dried grasses, weed 

 stalks, straw and occasionally other 

 materials, and is lined with finer grasses. 

 Sometimes the nest is left open, but usu- 

 ally, though always well hidden, it is cov- 

 ered by an arched roof or dome bv weav- 

 ing standing blades of grass and stalks 

 overhead. At times, the entrance to the 

 nest is through a covered passage which 

 is nearly straight, or may be winding, 

 and from one to three feet in length. 

 The female is a close sitter and will 

 remain on the nest until almost stepped 

 upon. She seems to rely for protection 



on the coloring of the plumage of her 

 back, which resembles that of the dried 

 grass of her environment, the high grass 

 around her, and the covering of her nest. 

 When she is finally forced to leave her 

 nest, she usually runs a short distance 

 away from the locality before rising. 

 Unfortunately the nesting habits of the 

 MeadowJark are somewhat opposed to 

 its best interests. Nesting on the ground, 

 its eggs and young are exposed to many 

 enemies. Countless eggs and young are 

 destroyed every season by snakes and 

 field vermin. But this is not all, for 

 man is also a destructive agent. In some 

 localities, nests, eggs and young are fre- 

 quently destroyed by mowing machines. 

 This is especially true in the mowing of 

 clover fields. 



The Meadowlark is one of our most 

 beneficial birds and should be protected 

 in every manner possible. Not one word 

 can be said against this feathered friend 

 of the farmer and favorite of most peo- 

 ple. Its economic value can hardly be 

 overestimated. Professor Beal says : 

 "It is one of the most useful alHes to 

 agriculture, standing almost without a 

 peer as a destroyer of noxious insects." 

 Professor Beal also says : "In summing 

 up the record of the Meadowlark, two 

 points should be especially noted: (i) 

 The bird is most emphatically an insect 

 eater, evidently preferring insects above 

 all other foods; and (2) in default of its 

 favorite food it can subsist on a vegeta- 

 ble diet." His examination of two hun- 

 dred and thirty-eight stomachs revealed 

 seventy-three per cent of animal- and 

 twenty-seven per cent of vegetable mat- 

 ter. The latter food consisted mainly of 

 the seeds of weeds, grasses, and a little 

 grain. "No sprouting "corn was found 

 in any stomach, and no grain of any 

 kind was found in stomachs taken in 

 summer; the largest quantity was eaten 

 in January, when other food was scarce. 

 Grasshoppers formed sixty-nine per cent 

 of the food found in the stomachs of 

 those birds taken in the month of Au- 

 gust." 



Those to whom the Meadowlarks are 

 of economic value should see that they 

 are jealously protected from hunters and 

 other enemies ; and those who only ap- 



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