58 BIRDS OF AEKANSAS. 



Northern Bedwing. Agelaius phosniceus arctolegus. 



Like the preceding, this subspecies is a winter visitor in the State, 

 known thus far only from 5 specimens taken by Hanna at Van 

 Buren, December 10 and 17, 1910. 



Meadowlark. Sturnella magna magna. 



The meadowlark or "field lark," as it is often called, is a locaUy 

 common resident in the State, but is rare or absent from mountain- 

 ous and heavily timbered areas. 



The northern form {magna) is not known to breed within our 

 limits, but when summer specimens are secured from the Ozark 

 region, they may prove to be of this subspecies. It is reported as 

 occurring in mild winters at FayetteviUe (Harvey), and Hanna col- 

 lected two specimens from a flock of 35 at Van Buren on December 17. 

 This is a highly beneficial species, its food consisting mainly of inju- 

 rious insects, with a small percentage of seeds and some grain, 

 mostly waste corn picked up about the fields in winter and early 

 spring. It has been shown to be an important enemy of the cotton- 

 boH weevil, and for this reason, if for no other, should be carefuUy 



protected. 



Southern Meado'w^lark. Sturnella magna argutula. 



The southern form of the meadowlark occurs as a summer resi- 

 dent in favorable situations over the greater part of the State, exclu- 

 sive of the Ozark region. Specimens taken in summer have been 

 examined from Blytheville, Stuttgart, Conway, and near Mammoth 

 Spring, and the bird is reported to breed also at Newport and Helena. 

 I found it abundant on the prairie at Stuttgart and in old fields at 

 WUmot, and fairly common at McGehee, but it is apparently very 

 scarce in the southwestern part of the State. Savage reports it 

 absent in summer at Dehght, but appearing there in migration Sep- 

 tember 29 and becoming common by the middle of October. Some 

 of these migrants, however, may be the northern form (magna). 

 Both forms probably occur together in winter throughout the low- 

 lands of the State. The species is reported abundant at that season 

 at Stuttgart (HoUister) and Judsonia.^ 



[Western Meadowlark. Sturnella neglecta. ^ 



Since the breeding range of the western meadowlark overlaps that of the eastern 

 species in western Missouri (Johnson and Vernon Counties), the bird may be looked for 

 as a migrant and possibly as a breeder in extreme western Arkansas. Although diffi- 

 cult to distinguish by its markings, the western bird is easily recognized by its 

 striking song.] 



Orchard Oriole. Icterus spurius. 



The orchard oriole is a common summer resident in most parts of 

 Arkansas. The average date of its arrival at Helena ia spring is 

 April 10 (earliest date March 30). It departs early, usually in late 

 August or early September. It has been reported from Newport, 



1 Reynolds, Am. Nat., XI, p. 307, 1877. 



