74 THE MEADOW LARK. 



During the latter part of autumn, as well as in winter, this species affords 

 a good deal of sport, especially to young gunners, some of whom speak 

 highly of its flesh. This may be true respecting the young, but the yellow 

 oily appearance of the flesh of the old ones, its toughness, and the strong 

 smell of insects which it emits, prevent it from being an agreeable article of 

 food. They are nevertheless offered for sale in almost all our markets. 



In the winter months, this bird frequently associates with the Carolina 

 Dove, several species of Grakle, and even Partridges; is fond of spending its 

 time in corn-fields after the grain has been gathered, and often makes its 

 appearance in the cattle-yard of the planters. In Virginia it is called the 

 "Old-field Lark." 



While on the ground, the Meadow Lark walks well, and much in the 

 manner of the Grakle and the European Starling, to which it is in some 

 measure allied. When on the wing, they seldom fly close enough to allow 

 more than one to be shot at a time. When wounded, they run off with 

 alacrity, and hide with great care, so as to be found with difficulty. They 

 alight with equal readiness on trees, on the branches of which they walk 

 with ease, on fences, and even at times on out-houses. Their food consists 

 of grass seeds, and grains of almost every sort, along with all kinds of insects 

 and berries. Although gregarious, they seldom move close together while 

 on the ground, and, on the report of a gun, you may see perhaps a hundred 

 of them rise on the wing from different parts of a field. They are never 

 found in close woods. During winter, the open western prairies abound 

 with them, and in every corn-field in the State of Kentuck)?' you are sure to 

 find them in company with Partridges and Doves. They now and then 

 resort to roads, for the purpose of dusting themselves, and move along the 

 edge of the water in order to bathe. 



This beautiful bird is dispersed over all the countries intervening between 

 the shores of the Columbia river and the Gulf of Mexico. I found it very 

 abundant and breeding on the Island of Galveston in the Texas, where, as 

 well as in our Southern States, it is a constant resident. It travels north- 

 ward as far as the Saskatchewan river, where, according to Dr. Richardson, 

 it arrives about the first of May, but beyond which it was not seen. In a 

 note appended to the article on this bird in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, 

 Mr. Swainson says it "is subject to very considerable variation, not only in 

 its colour, but in its size, and in the proportionate length of the bill. The 

 northern specimens are larger and much paler than those we possess from 

 Georgia, while the Pennsylvania ones are intermediate between the two, 

 proving the influence of climate or the prevalence of particular races." This 

 note is in perfect accordance with my views as regards the migrations of 

 birds, and it corroborates the fact which I have already mentioned, that the 



