Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/257

* MEADOW-LARK. 229 MEAGHEB. Init tlicre are several subspecies wliieli, tlumgh Ihvy may not difter imieh in color, exliibit marked peculiarities in liabit and song. The coniiiion nu'udow-lark ranges in sunnner from New lininswiek lo the (iulf of Mexico, east of the -Mississippi, and even in winter only retreats as far south as Southern New England and Illinois. The Western meadow-lark (varietj' ne- ylccttt) occui)ies the western half of the con- tinent and e.vtends southward into Western Jlexieo, while other subspecies occur in Cuba and Mexico. Jleadow-larks arc about ten and three-<|uarters inches in length, with large feet and a hing, straight, sliarp IjIII. The leathers of the upper surface are prevailingly black, with rufous and btitl' borders and tips, so that the whole upper surface is variegated with tiiose three colors. The throat, breast, and anterior half of the belly are bright yellow, with a prominent black crescent about the middle of the breast. The tail feathers are narrow and short, and when the bird takes to the wing the white outer ones bi'come very consiiicuous. The ^'estern meadow- lark has lighter upper parts, more perfect, less confluent bars on the tail feathers, and the sides, as well as the front, of the throat are yellow. The notes of the meadow-lark are clear and strong — a sort of cheerful whistle — but Chaj)man says that they differ in ditl'erent lo- calities, so that the notes of the Florida birds are markedly diU'erent from those heard in the Northern States. The notes of the Western meadow-lark are famous for their musical qual- ity. The contrast between its brilliant song and that of the Eastern form, added to other peculiar traits, convince many students of the full specific rank of the Western bird. Consult on this point Coucs. liirils of the Xorllnvcst (Washington, 1874). Meadow-larks feed ujion botli seeds and in- sects, which they obtain upon the ground in the open nu>ndows and fields. In sunuuer they are not gregarious, though several pairs may be seen in neighboring fields: but in winter they are often found in swamps in some numbers. The nest is built upon the ground, and is composed of grasses, so arranged as to arch over at the top and make a more or less completely covered shelter. The eggs (see Colored Plate of Eggs 01'' Soxd Birds) are four to six in niunber, large for the size of the bird, white, marked chiefly at the larger end with bright brown. Althougli not a game bird, meadow-larks are frequently hunted, both for sport and food, but they are not especially desirable for the table, and the shooting of them is nearly everywhere illegal. See Plate of Larks .xi) Starlings. MEADOW MOUSE. Tlie American name for the short -tailed wild mice of the genus Micro- luK of the class called 'vales' in Europe. The commonest species is the widespread Microtiis P'^iiiixiilraniriifi. called in the older hooks Arvi- rriln riinrrin. Many other species and subspecies arc cnt.'ilngucd. Sec MorsK. MEADOW MtrSSEL. or Horse Mussel. See
 * Mtssf:i..

MEADOW SAFFRON. A European plant. Sec r'oi.cimrM. MEADOW SNIPE. A gunner's name for snipe frequenting grassy places, especially Wil- son's and the jack snipe. (See Snipe.) The marsh-hens and corn-crake are often called meadow crake or drake, meadow clapper, etc., by sport.-.men. MEADOW-SWEET. A plant. See Spib.ea. MEAD'VILLE. A city and the county-seat of Crawl'ord County, Pa., 105 miles north of Pittsburg; on French Creek, and on the Erie and the Pittsburg, Bessemer and Lake Erie rail- roads (.Map: Pennsylvania. A 2). It is the seat of Allegheny College (ilethodist Episcopal), es- tablished in 1815, and of the ile:ulville Tlieo- logical School ( I'nitarian ), opened in 1844, and has four schools of music, two city hosjiitals, and a public librarj-. Aniong the prominent structures are the courthouse, academy of music, First Methodist Episcopal Church, and Lafayette Blo<'k. Other notewortliy features are Huide- koper, Diamond, and Oakwood parks, three iron bridges, and the fair grounds and race track. Meadville is in a fertile agricultural valley, and its industries are represented by railroad shops of the Erie, the Plicenix iron works, nuilleable iron works, vise works, planing mills, silk mills, breweries, a distillery, chocolate chip works, etc. The city is also an important luarket, and a shipping point for the oil regions. The govern- ment is administered, under a charter of 1S89, by a mayor, chosen every three years, and a bi- caiucral council, which elects the solicitor, civil engineer, and city clerk, and confirms the execu- tive's appointments to a number of minor oflices, the treasurer, controller, and assessors being elected by the people. The city owns and ope- rates the water-works and electric light plant. Settled in 1788, Meadville became a borough in 1823 and was chartered as a citj' in 1800. Po])U- lation, in 1890, 9520; in 1900, 10,291. MEAFORD, nie'ferd. A lakeport town of Grey Comity. Ontario, Canada, on Nottawasaga Bay, the south inlet of Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, 20 miles west-northwest of Collingwood (ilap: Ontario, C 3). It has a fine harbor, fac- tories, and several mills. Population, in 1891, 2000; in 1901, 1910. MEAGHER, ma'rier. Thomas Francis (1823- 07). An Irish-American soldier. He was born in Waterford, Ireland, and was educated at the Jesuit College of Clongowes Wood, and at Stony- hurst College, Lancashire. England. On the outbreak of the French Revolution of 1848 he was sent to Paris by the Irish Confederation to congratulate the republican leaders. On his re- turn, he was arrested on a charge of sedition, tried for high treason, found guilty, and sen- tenced to death ; but subsequentl.v the sentence was changed to banishment for life to Tas- mania. Transported thither, he escaped in 1852 and succeeded in reaching New York. In 1855 he began to practice at the New York bar, and the following year became the editor of Ihe Irish yews. At the beginning of the Civil War in 1801. he organized a company of zouaves, joined the Sixty-ninth Regiiuent. New York Vol- unteers, was acting major at the first battle of Bull Run, and after serving the three months of the first call, returned to New York and organized the Iri.sh brigade, being commissioned brigadier-general on February 3. 1802. He served in the latter part of the Peninsular camp:iign, and participated in the second battle of Bull Run. and in the battles of Antietam and Fredericks- burg., in the last of which he was seriously wounded while leading a charge on Marve's