File:Image from page 565 of "The birds of Illinois and Wisconsin" (1909) (14732690206).jpg

Identifier: birdsofillinoisw00cory Title: The birds of Illinois and Wisconsin Year: 1909 (1900s) Authors: Cory, Charles B. (Charles Barney), 1857-1921 Subjects: Birds -- Illinois Birds -- Wisconsin Publisher: Chicago Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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Text Appearing Before Image: be referred to this subspecies. The measurements are as follows: Wing, 5.08; culmen, .96; depth of bill at base, .48. Genus STURNELLA Vieill. 227. Sturnella magna (Linn.). Meadowlark. Distr.: Eastern United States and southern Canada to thePlains. Breeds from the Gulf of Mexico northward. (A. O. U.) Special characters: Upper plumage, black, bordered and tippedwith buff and rufous brown; crown with buff line through the center;breast and upper portion of belly, bright yellow; yellow of throatnot extending over malar region; greater portion of under parts,gamboge yellow; throat and breast separated by a crescent shapedpatch of black; flanks and under tail coverts, tinged with buflf;middle tail feathers and tertials with imperfect brown bars, which runtogether along the shaft, not clearly separated; distinct bars extend-ing across the feather as in the Western Meadowlark. Male: Wing, 4.50 to 5.10 inches; bill, 1.22 to 1.42 inches. 558 Field Museum of Natural History — Zoology, Vol. IX.

Text Appearing After Image: Female: Wing, 4.14 to 4.50 inches; bill, 1.05 to 1.26 inches. The Meadowlark is a common summer resident throughout Illi-nois and Wisconsin, frequenting the open fields and prairies. A few-remain during the winter, but the majority arrive in March and leavefor the south again late in the fall. Its song is clear and ratherplaintive, and is subject to considerable variation. It breeds in May. The nest is built on the ground and is composedof dry grass. The eggs are white, sparsely marked and speckledwith brown and lilac gray. They are from 4 to 6 in number, andmeasure about 1.12 x .80 inches. 227a. Sturnella magna argutula (Bangs.). Southern Meadowlark. Distr.: Southeastern United States, from Florida to Louisianaand north through the lower Mississippi Valley to southern Illinoisand western Indiana. Special characters: Similar to 5. magna, but smaller and some-what darker, the back generally showing more black; the imperfectbarring of middle tail feathers and tertials as in magna. Male:

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