The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-05

In June of the past year, | found these
birds occupying the rolling sagebrush
plains, out of which the mountains
rise. over near DOremus in Tooele
county; and when l pushed up past the
mouth of the canyon, they were there.
in the sagebrush, and their song echoed
throughout the canyon. This bird is
easily disconnected: when one comes
upon him Unexpectedly ne manifests
much alarm. and appears to be lid
CITY" and fussy, and nervous. Pres
emily he viii slide down toward the
ground and, like a coyote, keep brush
between you and himself till he has
put a goodly distance to his credit
then he will mount a sagebrush and
sing as though greatly delighted. When
walk into the open" takes you out
into the sagebrush where he of the
red cap is to be found, look him up
and become acquainted. His nest you
viii find on the ground, or very near
to it, built of sticks lined with grass.
Four eggs, whitish. freely sprinkled or
speckled with reddish brown. are what
you will find in the nest.
The lazuIi Bunting.
One of the most beautiful-if not the
most beautiful-of the finch family is
err representative of the common in
digo bunting of the eastern states. As
the name of the eastern form indicates,
its color is ordinary indigo, but our
bird has shade of blue that is almost
indeseribable. 1t approaches a pea
cock blue, with a touch of irridescence
that makes it exquisite This color,
which covers head, throat, breast and
back is followed on the breast by a
light chestnut brown, and this in turn
by white; the wings and tail are dark.
This bunting comes early in the spring.
and if he receives proper treatment he
will erect his home in the raspberry
patch and will entertain you with his
little song day after day. The eggs
are three to four in number, of plain
blush white or pale greenish blue.
The Lark Bunting.
Another bird-the last to be men
tioned-of the finch family that de-
serves to be given place here, is the
lark bunting. This bird is not widely
distributed i'm our state. but is to be
found in several localities. Ridgway
found it in Parley's park, and took a
single specimen. No other records
were made-so far as l know-until ]
found it near Saltair in the sagebrush
also at stockton, and out by the Vel
low Dugway" on the road between
Vernal and Jensen. To the uninitiated
these birds might well enough be mis-
taken for bobolinks. They have not the
bun, but they have the black and
white; they have the flight song"
and the entire song has not a little of
the bobolink quality. ] found them
breeding near the salt works on the
9TH of last July. ! made use of one
of the young to bring out certain char
aCteristics of the adults. Whenever
would rush the youngster and he would
call for help, three or four of the beau
tiful males would circle about il and
me, giving snatches of song, and then
one or more would fly from me and
give the fight song. The care of the
young. under such circumstances,
seemed to devolve entirely upon the
male birds. as only once, in the course
of half hour, did a mother bird show
herself, and then she was at a distance
and seemed not to concern herself in
the least about the nesting. The lark
bunting builds on the ground. often in
a cavity under a clump Of weeds, and
the nest is constructed of grass and
fine roots. Four and FIVE plain blue
eggs are laid.