In confinement, this bird has another fault, of which I was not aware
until my last visit to Charleston. In February 1834, Dr SAMUEL WILSON
of that city told me that one of the Meadow Larks which he had
purchased in the market, with a number of other birds, ten days previously,
had been found feeding on the body of a Bay-winged Bunting,
which it had either killed, or found dead in the aviary. He said he had
watched the bird more than twenty minutes, and plainly saw that it
plunged its bill into the flesh of the finch to its eyes, and appeared to open
and close it alternately, as if sucking the juices of the flesh. Two days
afterwards, the same Meadow Lark actually killed two other finches that
had their wings clipped, and ate them.
During the latter part of autumn, as well as in winter, this species
affords a good deal of sport, especially to young gunners, some of whom
speak highly of its flesh. This may be true respecting the young, but
the yellow oily appearance of the flesh of the old ones, its toughness, and
the strong smell of insects which it emits, prevent it from being an agreeable
article of food. They are nevertheless offered for sale in almost all
our markets.
In the winter months, this bird frequently associates with the Carolina
Dove, several species of Grakle, and even Partridges, is fond of spending
its time in corn fields after the grain has been gathered, and often makes
its appearance in the cattle-yard of the planters. In Virginia, it is called
the " Old-field Lark."
While on the ground, the Meadow Lark walks well, and much in the
manner of the Grakle and the European Starling, to which it is in some
measure allied. When on the wing, they seldom fly close enough to allow
more than one to be shot at a time. When wounded, they run off with
alacrity, and hide with great care, so as to be found with difficulty. They
alight with equal readiness on trees, on the branches of which they walk
with ease, on fences, and even at times on out-houses. Their food consists
of grass seeds, and grains of almost every sort, along with all kinds
of insects and berries. Although gregarious, they seldom move close together
while on the ground, and, on the report of a gun, you may see
perhaps a hundred of them rise on the wing from different parts of a field.
They are never found in close woods. During winter, the open western
prairies abound with them, and in every corn-field in the State of Kentucky,
you are sure to find them in company with partridges and doves.
They now and then resort to roads, for the purpose of dusting themselves,
and move along the edge of the water in order to bathe.
MEADOW LARK. 221
The plate represents two pairs of these birds, with a nest placed in a
rich cluster of the Yellow Gerardia.
STURNUS LUDOVICIANUS, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 25)0. Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i.
p. 323. Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 50.
MEADOW LARK, ALAUDA MAGNA, Wits. Amer. Ornith. vol; iii. p. 20. pi. 19. fig. 2.
AMERICAN STARLING or MEADOW LARK, Nuttall, Manual, part i. p. 147-
STURNELLA LUDOVICIANA, CRESCENT STARELET, Stvains. and Richards. Fauna Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 282.
Adult Male. Plate CXXXVI. Fig. 1. 1.
Bill rather long, almost straight, strong, com*co-subulate, depressed
towards the end; upper mandible encroaching a little on the forehead,
flattish on the ridge, with sharp overlapping edges, the tip rounded;
lower mandible nearly straight, the back convex, the sides ascending, the
edges sharp, the tip slightly rounded, and a little shorter. Nostrils oval,
half-closed by an arched membrane. Head of ordinary size, depressed,
neck of moderate length, body rather full Feet of moderate length,
strong; tarsus anteriorly scutellate, sharp behind; lateral toes nearly
equal, hind toe stoutest, with a large claw; claws arched, compressed,
acute.
Plumage soft, rather compact. The upper eyelid margined with strong
bristles. Feathers of the top of the bead with strong shafts. Wings of
ordinary length, broad, the second, third, and fourth primaries longest,
the first longer than the fifth ; those mentioned, except the first, sinuate on
the outer web ; primaries rather pointed, secondaries broad and rounded,
two of the inner nearly as long as the primaries when the wing is closed.
Tail short, much rounded, of twelve acute feathers.
Bill dark brown above, bluish-grey beneath and on the sides. Iris
hazel. Feet flesh-coloured, tinged with blue. The upper parts are
variegated with dark brown, bay, and light yellowish-brown, the latter
bordering the feathers; those of the hind parts of the back barred, as
are the secondary quills and their coverts. Primary quills dark brown,
margined the outermost with white, the rest with pale brown. The edge
of the wing yellow; the smaller wing-coverts black bordered with grey.
The three outer tail-feathers white, with a dash of black on the outer web
near the end; the next feather also more or less white, and barred on the
outer web. On the upper part of the head are a central and two lateral
stripes of brownish-yellow, separated by two broader stripes of brownish