ORNITHOLOGIST 
[Yol. 14-No. 12 
186 
my feet. Looking down, I saw the cosy nest 
containing a fine set of five eggs. 
The nest was almost exactly like that of a 
Shore Lark, being sunken flush with the sur- 
face of the ground. It was lined with some 
bleached grasses and weed stems. The rim was 
quite thick and turned inward, which made the 
nest look smaller than it really was. It was 
built in an open place, close to a well-travelled 
road; and although there was no grass nor 
weeds to conceal it, it was very difficult to see 
while a few feet away. I attempted to take 
out the lining of the nest, but it fell to pieces 
and I could not lift it. 
I went somewhat further on, and soon espied 
a singing male. This time my running tactics 
failed, for the bird flushed wild ahead of me; 
but now knowing where to look for a nest, I 
found it, after a few minutes’ search, close to 
a large white stone, which was the only one in 
sight, the birds using it, perhaps, for a land- 
mark. This nest also contained five eggs. 
The nest was identical with the one first found, 
and in fact all of those I found, while there, 
were very similar, both in location and struc- 
ture, a description for one will suffice for all. 
The next day (May 22d) I found two more 
nests in similar locations, each containing four 
eggs, and on the 23d I found three more sets 
of four eggs each, all of which were found on 
a patch of burnt ground. 
On the 29tli I found another set of five, but 
the location of the nest was different from all 
the others, it being placed in a bunch of grass 
and well concealed. On the same day I also 
found two more nests, one containing two and 
the other three eggs, which were left for com- 
plete sets, but on returning on the 29tli the set 
of three had not increased in number, while 
the nest of two eggs had been burnt over by a 
recent fire; but what surprised me most was 
two little downy Longspurs that greeted me 
with open mouths as 1 came up. This nest 
was so deeply imbedded in the ground that the 
flames probably swept over it and left the 
eggs uninjured. I do not believe the bird 
could have protected them at the time. 
These were the last nests I found, as I left 
Madison on the 31st of May. 
The eggs are peculiar, — quite unlike any 
others I have seen, but somewhat resembling 
those of the Grass Finch in the clouded appear- 
ance of the shell-markings, and having the dull 
white ground color of those of a Lark Finch. 
None of the nests contained eggs of the Cow- 
bird. The small birds of that district are very 
free from the intrusions of this parasite, as I 
saw very few of the birds and found none of 
their eggs in any nest that I came across. 
George G. Cantwell. 
Lake Mills, Wis. 
[Seven of the sets above referred to by Mr. 
Cantwell, together with another set collected 
in a different locality, are now before me, and 
may be thus described: 
Set I. May 22, 1886, Huron, Dakota. Col- 
lected by E. S. Cheney. Nest, a hollow in the 
ground, lined with fine grass, placed beside 
manure on a hillside. Three eggs, incubation 
begun. Pinkish-wliite, speckled with burnt 
umber, and also veined with a few lines of seal 
brown: .78x.56; .78x.54; ,78x.57. (This.set 
is described in Davie’s Nests and Eggs, 1889, 
page 296.) 
Set II. May 23, 1889, Lac-qui-Parle County, 
Minn. Collected by Geo. G. Cantwell. Nest 
composed of bleached grass and weed stems, 
sunken flush with the surface of the surround- 
ing prairie. Four eggs, incubation begun. 
Greenish-white, spotted sparingly, but dis- 
tinctly, with clove brown. There are a few 
under shell markings of cinereous. The spots 
are evenly distributed all over the surface: 
,76x.55; .76x.55; .73x.55; .72 x .54. 
Set III. May 23, 1889, Lac-qui-Parle County, 
Minn. Collected by Geo. G. Cantwell. Nest 
composed of bleached grass and weed stems, 
sunken flush with the surface. Four eggs, 
fresh. Greenish-white, speckled and spotted 
with Vandyke brown and seal brown, with a 
few under shell markings of cinereous. These 
spots are heaviest around the larger ends: .70 
x.65; ,70x,55; .67x.54; .67x.54. 
Set IV. May 23, 1889, Lac-qui-Parle County, 
Minn. Collected by Geo. G. Cantwell. Nest 
composed of grass and weed stems, sunken 
flush with the surface of the surrounding 
plaijis. Four eggs, fresh. Light greenish- 
white, speckled and spotted all over the sur- 
face with burnt umber. There are also under 
shell markings of drab-gray, and a few vein, 
ings of seal brown: .77 x .57; .75 x .58; .75 x .."8; 
.74 x .59. 
Set V. May 29, 1889, Lac-qui-Parle County, 
Minn. Collected by Geo. G. Cantwell. Nest 
composed of grass and weed stems, sunken flush 
with the surface of the prairie. This nest was 
found on the 23d of May, with three eggs, and 
no more were deposited by the 29tli. Three 
eggs, incubation advanced. Greenish-white, 
spotted and veined with burnt umber. There 
are also numerous under shell markings of cin- 
ereous: .73x.56; .75 x.57; .72x.56. 
Set VI. May 22, 1889, Lac-qui-Parle County, 
Dec. 1889.] 
AND OC 
Minn. Collected by Geo. G. Cantwell. Nest 
composed of bleached grass and weed stems, 
sunken flush with the surface of the surround- 
ing prairie. Four eggs, incubation slight. 
Ecru-drab ground color, clouded with light 
purplish shell markings, veined and spotted 
with seal brown: ,77x.55; .73x.56; ,73x.56; 
.75 x .57. 
Set VII. May 26, 1889, Lac-qui-Parle County, 
Minn. Collected by Geo. G. Cantwell. Nest 
composed of grass and weed stems. Placed in 
a clump of grass on the prairie. .Five eggs, 
fresh. Greenish-white ground color, clouded 
with drab and speckled and spotted with seal 
brown: .75 x .58; .72 x .56; .71 x .55; .69 x .56- 
.73 x .58. 
Set VIII. May 22, 1889, Lac-qui-Parle County, 
Minn. Collected by Geo. G. Cantwell. Nest j 
composed of bleached grass and weed stems, 
sunken flush with the surface of the surrounding 
prairie: ,71x.54; ,73x.55; ,78x,57; ,73x 55 
z J :Wo . XIV, Dec. 1889 p, | 
Birds of Grant and Traverse Cos. 
Minn, June, 1878 Roberts & Benner 
19. Flectrophanes ornatus, Towns. Chestnut-collared Bunting. 
— The birds of this species were first noted upon the prairie about a mile 
from Herman, where their circular flight and characteristic song attracted 
attention at once. They, were found from here westward to the bluffs bor- 
dering Brown s Valley, but did not descend into it. They at all times pre- 
ferred the prairie away from any moist places, and were not found near 
sloughs nor lakes. Mr. J. A. Allen’s description of their habits, as quoted 
in Coues s u Birds of the Northwest,” coincides so exactly with our experi- 
ence that a detailed account is unnecessary. The variations of plumage 
he describes were also noticed. A single female was taken having a dis- 
tinct chestnut collar, and many of the males had the black of the° breast 
streaked with chestnut. They were evidently nesting, and a very pro- 
longed search finally revealed a nest which contained young half grown. 
It was placed upon the ground in the short prairie-grass, and very difficult 
to find even when the locality was once known. It was sunk on a level 
with the ground, and was composed of fine dry grasses very similar to the 
nest of the Shore Lark (E. alpeslris ). Internal diameter of nest inches ; 
depth about 2. The female fluttered away exhibiting the utmost concern, 
and acting as if severely wounded. 
Bull, N.O.O. 5, Jan., 1880, p,14 
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