6 
COMMON BIRDS: SECOND SERIES. 
cattle, they catch the insects that surround them. The male Cow- 
bird is a handsome bird, with the iridescence common among the 
Blackbird family. He often arrives in March, and as he flies over¬ 
head utters a curious spluttering whistle. The females, which are 
smaller and grayish brown, come later. In spring they frequent 
ploughed fields and uplands, where they find beetles and grubs. 
In winter they live in flocks in the Southern States, associating 
with the other Blackbirds. 
Meadowlark. 16. 
[STURNELLA MAGNA.] 
Wherever the ground remains bare during the winter, the 
Meadowlark’s plaintive whistled notes are heard in every month 
of the year. In the greater part of New England, however, 
it is migratory, leaving the brown fields in late autumn, and 
returning by the middle of March. Few birds are so easily 
recognized. Its notes, its flight, its movements when walking are 
all characteristic. The song is oftenest uttered from the top of a 
tree or tall bush, and, though sweet and strong, it has an extremely 
plaintive quality. When the singer is disturbed, his flight is heavy, 
and after two or three strokes, the bird sails for a moment, then 
flaps again. Besides the whistled song, the Meadowlark has a 
gutteral chatter and a nasal speke , very like that of the Nighthawk. 
On the ground, the long legs lift the bird well above the grass ; like 
all the Starling family, the Meadowlark walks. The tail is often 
twitched in a nervous manner, which shows the white outer feathers, 
which are even more conspicuously displayed when the bird flies. 
The nest is placed in an open field, is composed of grass, and is often 
concealed by an arch of the same material. The eggs are four or 
five, white, marked with brown and lilac. In New England they 
are laid in May. The food of the Meadowlark consists of insects 
and seeds; so many of the former are injurious locusts and beetles, 
that the bird is entitled to all possible protection, especially against 
gunners, who pursue it in fall and winter for its flesh. 
