. Legislation for the protection of birds other than game birds . to be abundant; and even heretheir sale should be carefully regulated to prevent the slaughter ofrobins, larks, and other birds, which are almost certain to be killed bymarket hunters. 1 Bryant, Zoe, II, pp. 142-145, 1891. 20 LEGISLATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS. MEADOWLARKS. Like the flicker, the meadowlark (Sturnella magna^-ftg. 5) is consid-ered game by many persons, mainly on account of the character of itsmeat, which in some respects resembles that of quail. A few Statesprovide an open season for lark shooting, as follow
. Legislation for the protection of birds other than game birds . to be abundant; and even heretheir sale should be carefully regulated to prevent the slaughter ofrobins, larks, and other birds, which are almost certain to be killed bymarket hunters. 1 Bryant, Zoe, II, pp. 142-145, 1891. 20 LEGISLATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS. MEADOWLARKS. Like the flicker, the meadowlark (Sturnella magna^-ftg. 5) is consid-ered game by many persons, mainly on account of the character of itsmeat, which in some respects resembles that of quail. A few Statesprovide an open season for lark shooting, as follows: Mississippi,September 15 to March 1; Missouri, August 1 to January 1; NorthCarolina, October 15 to April 1; British Columbia, September 1 toMarch 1; Georgia apparently allows the bird to be killed at anyseason. Its importance to sportsmen is small in comparison withits value to farmers. Professor Beal, in speaking of its food habitssays: It is one of the most useful allies to agriculture, standingalmost without a peer as a destroyer of noxious insects. * * *. Fig. 5.—Meadowlark (Stwrnetta magna). In summing up the record of the meadowlark, two points should beespecially noted: (1) The bird is most emphatically an insect eater,evidently preferring insects above all other food; and (2) in defaultof its favorite food it can subsist on a vegetable Professor Beal made an examination of 238 stomachs, and reportedthat the contents comprised about 27 percent vegetable matter and 73percent animal matter. In other words, nearly three-fourths of thefood of the meadowlark for the year, including the winter months,consists of insects. The vegetable food comprises mainly seeds ofweeds, grasses, and a little grain, but the grain, chiefly corn, amountedto only 14 percent. No sprouting corn was found in any stomach,and no grain of any kind was found in stomachs taken in summer; thelargest quantity was eaten in January, when other food was scarce. 1 Yearbook Dept. Agr., 1895, pp. 420
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Keywords: ., bookauthorpalm, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds
