MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
187 
growth. The cultivated field lies bare most of the spring and the raspberry 
patch does not furnish any food till summer. 
CHARACTERISTIC BIRDS. 
Sturnella magnci (Linn.). Meadowlark. This bird arrives about the 
first of March. On their arrival they feed extensively on the seeds of rag- 
weed, pigeon grass and other weeds. As the season advances they confine 
themselves more and more to the grassy meadow and their food accordingly 
changes, insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, and various grubs and larvae 
forming their principal food. The nests are placed in the long thick grass 
and are very well hidden. They are composed of dead grass and are often 
domed with a passageway leading out at the side. The young are hatched 
the last of May or the first of June. Even when the young Meadowlarks 
are quite well grown they may be seen following the parents about in the 
meadow grass waiting to be fed. 
An interesting habit of these birds and one which is probably the result 
of the conditions in their habitat, has often been noticed by the writer. A 
meadowlark when aware of the presence of a person keeps its back turned, 
concealing the brilliant yellow and black breast and exposing the brownish 
striped back which closely resembles the dead grass of the meadow. This 
instinct is carried out even in more exposed positions as on a fence post, 
the bird seeming to realize that it is less liable to attract attention by its 
somber colored back than by its brilliantly marked breast. 
Spizella pusilla (Wils). Field sparrow. One of the most common birds 
of the meadow is the Field Sparrow. Arriving with the other sparrows in 
April, it remains here until October. It is rather shy and seldom allows 
close observation. The open meadow where the grass is a foot or more 
in height seems to offer the most favorable conditions, as here it is found in 
largest numbers. It is sometimes found in patches of weeds and broom 
sedge. The food of this sparrow during the latter part of spring, consists 
principally of insects, caterpillars, beetles, small grasshoppers, and a few 
ants being found in the stomachs examined. During the early spring and 
after the nesting season the food consisted to a large extent of the seeds of 
ragweed, ehickweed, knot weed, crab-grass and timothy. The nest is placed 
on the ground amid tall ddad grass and weeds, and is composed of grass, 
rootlets and dead leaves, of plants growing in the vicinity, and is lined with 
hairs and fine grasses making a compact cup about two inches deep. The 
bird is rarely flushed directly from the nest, its habit being to glide off through 
the grass, not rising up until a considerable distance away. However, if 
the nest is found they will approach quite closely and show their anxiety by 
frightened chirps. 
From the data given here it will be seen that those conditions which in- 
duce the Field Sparrow to choose the grassy meadow as its habitat are the 
abundance of the particular vegetable and insect food which it relishes and 
good protection both for itself and its nest, together with the materials of 
which the nest is composed. 
OTHER COMMON BIRDS. 
During the early part of spring small flocks of Mourning Doves roam 
over the ^cultivated field and the weed patches, picking up waste grain and 
various seeds left by the winter birds. Flickers are often seen in the grassy 
meadow hopping about searching for ants and grasshoppers. Kingbirds 
