THE WESTERN MEADOWLAEK. 465 



The earliest dates on which eggs in the United States National Museum 

 collection have been taken, are April 13, 1893, at Santa Ysabel, San Diego 

 County, California, collected by Mr. H. W. Henshaw, and a set of four fresh 

 eggs, taken by Dr. A. K. Fisher, United States Department of Agriculture, at 

 Wilcox, Arizona, April 22, 1892; a set of three was also taken by the writer 

 at Camp Harney, Oregon, April 22, 1877, an unusually early date for this 

 locality. Along our southern border the Western Meadowlark nests fully a 

 month earlier than farther north, and at least two broods are raised here in 

 a season; but I believe that second broods are not infrequent in favorable 

 localities considerably farther north, where fresh eggs are sometimes found as 

 late as the second week in July. It is one of the species occasionally imposed 

 on by the Cowbird. 



Both sexes assist in the construction of the nest and also in incubation, which 

 lasts about fifteen days. An egg is deposited daily until the set is completed. 

 The young leave the nest before they are able to fly, depending for safety on 

 hiding themselves in the grass, and they are cared for by the parents until they can 

 provide for themselves. When they are able to do this they gather into small 

 companies and roam over the surrounding country. I do not believe that any 

 of the young of the year remain in our Northwestern States through the winter; 

 they probably move slowly southward in the late fall. 



From three to seven eggs are laid to a set, five being most commonly 

 found. Sets of four and six are not infrequent, but sets of seven are very rare. 



I can not detect any difference between the eggs of this subspecies and 

 those of the eastern Meadowlark excepting in size. The eggs of the Western 

 Meadowlark appear to average a trifle larger as a rule; otherwise the same 

 description will answer for both. 



The average measurement of two hundred and six specimens in the United 

 States National Museum collection is 28.33 by 20.60 millimetres, or about 1.12 

 by 0.81 inches. The largest egg in the series measures 30.78 by 21.84 milli- 

 metres, or 1.21 by 0.86 inclies; the smallest, 25.65 by 20.07 millimetres, or 1.01 

 by 0.79 inches. 



The type specimens, Nos. 20276 and 20283 (PI. 6, Figs. 23 and 24), both 

 from sets of five, were taken by the writer, the first at Camp Harney, June 3, 

 1876, the last at Fort Klamath, Oregon, June 7, 1882. 



Fig. 23 represents a specimen with very few fine markings, somewhat 

 below the average size; fig. 24, a good-sized egg of the better-marked type of 

 coloration. There are no eggs among the series of Sturnella magna that are as 

 lightly marked as fig. 23; but there is a still lighter-marked set of five eggs 

 among the series under consideration, taken near Ogden, Utah, on June 7, 1871. 

 With these two exceptions, I can not see any difference, as the light-green 

 ground color found now and then in the eggs of Sturnella magna occurs likewise, 

 though very rarely, in the western form. 



16896— No. 3 30 



