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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 25, 1904)
, v . . K v The Commoner. NOVEMBER 25, 1904 11 ttfjfr- . Th Mdw Lark The people whose homes are among the green fields need no bne to tell them of thd aesthetic value of the meadowlarlc. It is claimed that the song of the prairie hird far exceeds in volume and sweetness that of its east ern brother of the meadows, but the wild sweet sons of either leaves an impress on the mind, of the hearer that can never he effaced. However, the beauty of .the meadowlark's plumage and the sweetness of its song a.re far less important to the hu man race than its value as an insect destroyer. It is .probable that there are few birds as valuable to the farmer as the meadowlarlc, as it is entirely terres trial in its habits, procuring almost its entire food supply from insect life harmful to meadows and prairie lands. The Meadowlark Adult both sexes; general' appearance of back anjl wing coverts mixed black and brown'sh, each feather being streaked or barred;, top of head with median lino of buff; outer tail-feathers largely white, inner ones barred; lino from bill over eye yellow, bordered above and below by black; .sides of throat whitish, middle throat, breast and upper belly bright yellow; large black crescent on breast; sides and lower belly white streaked with black; legs strong, toes lohg General aspect of head very flat from crown to end of bill. Length of males from end of bill to tip of tail 9.50 to 11.-inches; females 8 to 10 inches. .. . , Western Meadowlark Differs from the. eastern- fbrih by being larger and lighter -.colored, almost grayish when looked-at from above; the yellow of the thrpat. extends to the cheeks, which are grayish white fn. magna. "Texas "Meadowlark Insize and gen eral, app'earancf 'like the western buT he cheeks are whitish as in the, east ern; the yellow of under parts being somewhat deeper. .-,.'. The meadowlark is found In Minne sota; Iowa, western Kansas and In dian Territory and northern and eastern Texas and all of the country east of this line of states, also in the southern -portions of Manitoba, On tario, Quebec, New Brunswick and, Nova Scotia. It breeds in all, parts of thjz immense, district. In the winter months It !is,.npf" generally found .north of a diagonal line commencing On the Atlantic coast' at about 42 degrees north and running southeasterly to 38 degrees north in Kansas. The western meadowlark is found in North and South Dakota, Nebraska, western Kansas and Indian Territory, and northwestern Texas and all of the territory west to the Pacific, also in southern British Columbia and Alber ta, southwestern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba, It also overlaps the territory 'of the eastern meadow lark by a very irregular distribution in Minnesota, Towa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois and southern Michigan. The' Texas meadowlark is "found from southern and western Texas through southern New Mexico and Arizona. ' The nest is placed beside a tuft of grass or at the. foot of a weed stalk in a natural depression, or one made by the birds in a meadow or prairie; Jt is builtof coarse grasses or weed stalks lined with finer material of the same kind and is usually well hidden by a dome or roof. The eggs are white, spotted antj speckled with brown, purple, and lav ender. Usual number five, varying from three to seven. 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I lBllPHuHti'la 1 llBl'li I vQfsrcjMPTyBAgigr'ISK v;iins?4HiiJ u9Hfc2?KfiiBvSBIIryVfl SPECIAL TERMS TO COMMONER READERS To introduce Irish Literature at once wo will mako a special discount to the first 500 subscribers. 1f you will 1111 out the coupon In the corner and send immediately, wo will seud you mil particulars of prices and special terms of the Library in various styles of the bindings, togotherjwith A Beautiful 120-Page Specimen Portfolio Without Cost containing biographies; special articles; some of tho finest prdse and pootlcal produc tlons ol Irish authors, orators, statesmen, essayists and humorous writers, and a largo number of beautiiul illustrations, portraits, and beautiful Irish scenes. Address the coupon to the publishers, JGHN D. MORRIS & COMPANY 1201 Chestnut Street, - - Philadelphia, CUT OUT COUPON -MAIL TOOAY o c H O G H n o c o O JOHN D. MORRIS &, COMPANY J 20 J Chertmit St., Philadelphia, Pi. Oenlemen:-Pltmtnend without cost, to itw, the portfolio of Irish LiUrature,Mmplepauei UliiHlraitonn, Ac, with full particular of your tptclal term to Commoner readere. Name ... Street ... Cfity ... ,, MM IIN Key C. I. Nov. a6. birds to be shot on premises which he controls. It is known that nearly three-quar- fvno nf V TnonflnwIfirk'S fOOd for the year is composed of insects, over 12 per cent is weed seeds, anr 15 per cent is grain. However, an examina tion of the food by months shows that all of the grain that is eaten is gleaned from the stubblefield in the months of January, February, March, April and December. After the morith of May, when grain is ripening and is being harvested, none is eaten by meadow larks. The favorite food is insects, whA fiiov nan ho obtained: for six months of the year the amount being over 90 per cent and during August ywi cantarnhnr war flfl tier cent. Even during the winter months, when in sect life Is dormant, the meadowlark finds enough that is hidden below the surface of the ground or secreted among the grass to furnish a very con siderable portion of its diet. An ex amination of the table showing the actual kind of food found in the 238 stomachs gives further proof of the immense economic value of tire mead owlark. 'Grasshoppers and crickets compose over 25 per cent of its food, while an equally large share is mado up of beetles, among them weevils, curculio and click-beetles, these latter during the larval stage being known as wireworms, when they often de stroy seed before it has germinated, v.o TiitTi'Tur flliln of corn and other grain at the outset Meadowlarks also) destroy cutworms, arrayworms and numbers of the pest known as tho chinch bug. This latter pest has de stroyed in ' the United States during the last half century grain to .he value of over $330,000,000. In some of tho southern states, notably Georgia, the meadowlark is called the wheat bird, as it Is claimed It destroys wheat; however, the scientific study of its food proves this to be an un founded and erroneous claim. Fortu nately tho meadowlark is protected by law, in all parts of the country except In the following states, viz.: Virginia, ) North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Loui- 'ana, Tennessee. Missouri and Idaho. The agriculturists of these states should insist that tli is valuable bird be given absolute protection, for by doing so millloriso'f insect pests will be destroyed daily, and hundreds of thousands of dollars will be saved which would otherwise be lost. Win. Dutcher, Chairman American Ornethol ogists' Union, In Nebraska Farmer. A Baffling Cry The democratic party is- not dis rupted by Tuesday's defeat. It is not disorganized. There Is occasion for thanksgiving that it is not "reorgan ized." It Is not republlcanlzed. The country has one political party which is an organized system .of spoils and venality, and one Is enough. In the next campaign the democratic party will renew the battle for principles. It will find a candidate big enough to lead. It will adopt a platform that will be a pronouncement of principles rath er than a bid for votes. It will strive to deserve to win. It will work for victory because of the opportunity that victory brings, not for the ma terial perquisites, not for "the loaves and fishes.' Joplin Globe. - One Is Enough The people of the United States do not want two republican parties. And It is evident that they will not aonout ademocratic party however honorable Its candidates so long as that party, in appearance at least, is managed by Wall street, by a set of plutocratic in fluences no less harmful than thoso which control the republican party. Chicago American. ,r There must be a reorganizatfon of the democratic party along radical lines. It must stand for something be sides tradition. It must face to iho future and cease living in the past. In a word, It must stand firm against monopoly, specjal privilege, trust ex tortion and corporate control of gov ernment. It miiBt offer real remedies. Mere opposition will avail It nothing: It must bo essentially constructive. Milwaukee Daily News. 3alsam K 4 m l 2 f. '..