STARE. 7 



under parts yellow ; on the breast a crescent of black, somewhat in 

 shape of a horseshoe ; thighs and under tail coverts grey ; greater 

 quills brown, the lesser the same, spotted with rufous ; tail feathers 

 sharp at the ends ; legs and claws brown. 



In the female the colours are less denned, and the crescent of 

 smaller dimensions. Young birds have scarcely any trace of the 

 black crescent. 



According to Mr. Abbot, individuals are from nine to ten inches 

 in length, breadth fifteen inches, weight four ounces : it is a very 

 frequent species in North America, migratory, and comes into New 

 York early ; met with sometimes in great flocks in the salt meadows, 

 but is rather scarce elsewhere, and rarely seen except on the ground; 

 hence called in America, Meadow Lark. 



Common in Georgia, frequenting plantations; fond of young- 

 wheat ; often on the sides of ponds among the grass : the male may 

 be seen sitting on the tops of young pines, warbling out its note. 

 The nest is generally in a tussock of grass, in a small hollow in the 

 ground, made of pine straw, and stalks of plants, lined with dry moss, 

 and placed on one side to keep out the rain. The eggs dusky white, 

 marked with deep ferruginous spots, very numerous at the larger 

 end. This bird is called in some parts of America, Virginia Old 

 Field Lark ; brought to market in March, the flesh being esteemed 

 but little inferior to that of the Quail, or Partridge : after breeding, 

 it collects in flocks, and then sometimes alights on trees, generally 

 on the highest branches ; has a clear, melancholy note, but sweet 

 and expressive : the general food is caterpillars, worms, beetles, and 

 sometimes seeds of grass. 



The four outer tail feathers, although said to be white, have the 

 outer webs more or less mottled brown and clay-colour ; the four 

 middle ones barred clay and dark brown ; tail rounded in shape at 

 the end, two inches and a half long, and the wings reach but little 

 beyond the base. 



