BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 171 



coast, Louisiana, writes as follows in the annual report (1886), issued 

 by Ornithologist Dr. 0. Hart Merriam, U. S. Dept. of Agr., Washing- 

 ton, D. C. : u The rice crop in Louisiana, from the time the rice is in 

 the milk till harvest time and during harvesting, is much damaged by 

 birds, principally the Red-shouldered Blackbird. Shooting is the only 

 remedy thus far resorted to which is at all effective, and it is only 

 partially so. I have known rice crops to be destroyed to the extent 

 of over 50 per cent., which is a loss of say $13 per acre. While this 

 is an extreme case, a damage and expense of from $5 to $10 per acre 

 is very common. 



The average yield per acre is about 30 bushels, worth now (March 

 12, 1886) about 80 cents per bushel." 



GENUS STURNBLLA. VIEILLOT. 

 501. Sturnella magna (LINN.). 



Meadow Lark. 



DESCRIPTION. (Plate 28.) 



Thick and stout body ; legs large ; toes reach beyond the tail ; hind toe long, its 

 claw twice as long as middle one : Upper mandible (dried specimens) dark brown ; 

 lower bill lighter at base, dark towards the point ; tarsus and feet light brownish ; 

 claws darker ; iris brown. Feathers of head stiffish, tipped with bristles. Throat, 

 sides of breast, spot from nostrils to eye, edge of wing and abdomen bright yellow ; 

 breast with a large black crescent, the horns of which go half way up side of neck ; 

 the feathers above dark brown ; exposed portions of wings and tail with transverse 

 dark-brown bars which on the middle tail feathers are confluent along the shaft; 

 strong shade of bluish ash on lesser wing coverts ; several lateral tail feathers partly 

 white ; sides, under tail coverts and tibiae pale reddish brown, streaked with black- 

 ish ; a light stripe extends from base of upper mandible over crown ; and a similar 

 over along sides of top of head ; a faint black streak above the eye, and a brood over 

 behind it. Sexes alike but female usually duller than male. Birds in the autumn 

 have black breast spot more or less obscured with grayish or brownish. Southern 

 birds are smaller than Northern. Male, length about 1(H inches ; extent about 16 

 inches. The female is smaller. 



Hab. Eastern United States, and southern Canada to the Plains. 



The Meadow Lark occurs in Pennsylvania during all months of the 

 year, but in the spring, summer, and particularly in the autumn, is 

 much more common than throughout the dreary months of winter. 

 These birds are gregarious, at least they generally, when not engaged 

 in breeding are to be found in small flocks, which wander about from 

 place to place, and only discontinue this nomadic life when they en- 

 gage in housekeeping. These well-known rovers, rendered so con- 

 spicuous by their yellow shirts arid black bosoms, collect usually in 

 parties of from twelve to thirty individuals ; in the fall, however, it is 

 not uncommon to find a hundred, and sometimes more, of these birds 

 scattered about a field or meadow. Meadow Larks generally quite 

 shy and difficult of approach frequent at all seasons, principally 



