664 



Till-: WI'.STF.RX SAXDl'TPER. 



fmiiiil scaltiTocl (i\cr the tundra, sluiwint; a preference fur small ilr\- kinills 

 and the drier tussock-co\'ered parts i.it' the cnuiitry in the \ieinit\- of damp 

 s])ots and small ponds. Here the gentle birds may he seen at all times tri])ping 

 daintily over the moss or in and r)ut amoni; the tnfts of grass, conversing with 

 each other in low, pleasant, twittering notes, and ne\er showing any sign of 

 the wrangling s<;) frequent with their kind at this season. The female modestly 

 avoids the male as he pays his homage, running back and forth before her as 

 iho anxious to exhibit his tiny form to the best advantage. At times his heart 

 beats high with ])ride and he trails his witigs, elevates and partly spreads his 

 tail, and struts in front of his ladv fair in all the pompous vanity of a pvgmv 

 tui ke\-cock : or his blood courses in a tierv stream until, filled willi ecstatic 



Photo bv tlu- Author. 



THE CLE.WliRS. 



jo\-, the sanguine lo\'er springs from earth, and rising upon \ibrating wings,, 

 some ten or fifteen yards, he poises, ho\'ering in the same jjosition, while he 

 ]>ours f(irth a rapid, unifi)rm series of S(imewhat musical trills, which \ai'\- in 

 strength as they gradually rise and fall, producing pleasant cadetices. The 

 wings of the songster meanwhile \-ibrate with such rapid motion that the\' ap- 

 ])ear to kee|i time with the rapidh" trilling notes, which can <inl\ be likened ti> 

 the ritnning down rif a small sj^ring and ma_\^ be representeil b\ the syllables 

 t::.r-v-c-c-c. zr-c-c-c. zr-c-c-c. in a tine high-pitched tone with an im])etus at 

 each '/.' This ])art of the song ended, the bird raises its wings above its back, 

 thus forming a \'. and glides slowly to the gi-<iund, uttering at the same time, 

 in a trill, but with deeper and richer tone, a series of notes which may be 

 lik-ened to the syllables tziir-r-r-r, tziir-r-r-i-." 



