A History of North American Birds; Land Birds; Vol. 2 of 3Baird, Spencer Fullerton
Science
A History of North American Birds; Land Birds; Vol. 2 of 3
Baird, Spencer Fullerton
Birds -- North America
males noticed as we passed along were out of all proportion, in
numbers, to the females seen. They were very heedless of approach, and
any number could have been readily destroyed. I never saw any at Fort
Whipple, or elsewhere in Arizona, though Dr. Heermann says that they
are abundant in the southern portions of the Territory, and specimens
are recorded from Lower California.”
Mr. Allen found the Lark Bunting one of the few birds that seemed
strictly confined to the arid plains near Fort Hays, in Kansas. He met
with it in great abundance, but only on the high ridges and dry
plateaus, where they seemed to live in colonies. He describes them as
very wary, and very tenacious of life, often flying long distances,
even after having been mortally wounded. They seemed to delight to fly
in strong winds, when most other birds kept in shelter. They sing
while on the wing, hovering in the wind and shaking the tail and legs
after the well-known manner of the Yellow-breasted Chat. Its song
seemed to him to strongly resemble that of the Chat, with which, at
such times, its whole demeanor strikingly accorded.
Dr. Heermann, in his Report on the birds collected in the survey on
the 32d parallel, states that he first observed these birds on
approaching the Pimos villages. They were associated with large flocks
of Sparrows, gleaning grain and grass-seed upon the ground. When
started up they flew but a short distance before they resumed their
occupation. After crossing the San Pedro he again found them in large
flocks. At Fort Fillmore, in Mesilla Valley, it was also quite common
and associated with the Cowbird and Blackbird, searching for grain
among the stable offals. He again met with them in Texas, in the month
of April, most of them still retaining their winter coat. He describes
the tremulous fluttering motion of the wings with which the male
accompanies its song while on the wing as very much after the manner
of the Bobolink, and he speaks of their song as a disconnected but not
an unmusical chant. He found their nests on the ground, made of fine
grasses, lined with hair, and in one instance he found the eggs
spotted with faint red dashes.
At Gilmer, in Wyoming Territory, their nests were found by Mr. Durkee
built on the ground, and composed of dry grasses very loosely
arranged. The eggs, four or five in number, are of a uniform and
beautiful light shade of blue, similar to those of the _Euspiza
americana_. They measure .90 by .70 of an inch, are of a rounded-oval
shape, and, so far as I have observed, are entirely unspotted,
although eggs with a few reddish blotches are said to have been met
with.
GENUS EUSPIZA, BONAP.
_Euspiza_, BONAP. List, 1838. (Type, _Emberiza americana_, GMELIN.)
_Euspina_, CABANIS, Mus. Hein. 1851, 133. (Same type.)
[Line drawing: _Euspiza americana_, Bonap.
1459 ♂]
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