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TH£ OOLddlST 



FLIGHT OF THE PRAIRIE HORNED 

 LARK 



I wonder how many lovers in the 

 East Central States are familiar with 

 the interesting sky journey taken by 

 the Prairie Horned Lark. Doubtless 

 a large per cent of the observers who 

 spend a portion of their time afield 

 with the birds, have witnessed this 

 extremely interesting performance, but 

 for the benefit of those who have not 

 had this pleasure a few notes on the 

 Larks flight will be appreciated. 



You will see the Prairie Horned 

 Lark start up from a field, usually a 

 meadow, where it makes its home, fiy- 

 ing almost straight up until it reache.^ 

 a high altitude, sometimes so high as 

 to be invisible. It flies in relays, so 

 as to speak, making a somewhat jerky 

 flight. It gives its song at short in- 

 tervals while going up, but when it 

 sings it stops flying and spreads its 

 tail and allows itself to drop down- 

 ward a short way while it gives its 

 song and then starts up again with re- 

 newed energy. It apparently does not 

 want to sing when it wings are in 

 motion. The Horned Lark's song can- 

 not be put in words that mean any- 

 thing to the reader and can be better 

 described by saying that it is similar 

 to that of the Meadow Lark, but not 

 so rich and sweet as that of this well 

 known musician. It is a sight long to 

 be remembered to see the Horned 

 Lark going upward and giving its at- 

 tractive song until it has disappeared 

 in the air above, although its song 

 floats down on the spring air to tell 

 the enraptured listener that high in 

 the heavens the Lark is putting its 

 whole soul into joyful song. But the 

 most thrilling part of the performance 

 is yet to come. After the Lark has 

 finished expressing his happiness he 

 closes his wings and shoots to the 

 earth with lightning speed and he does 

 not check his mad fall through 



space until within a yard or two of 

 the earth where he opens his wings 

 and alights on a convenient perch as 

 gracefully as if he had been just fly- 

 ing past, instead of falling hundreds 

 of feet. Other individuals less daring 

 do not drop the whole distance at 

 once but open their wings several 

 times on the downward trip and there- 

 fore, no such amount of speed is at- 

 tained. It usually takes them about 

 three seconds to reach the earth but 

 of course this depends on how high in 

 the air they are when they begin 

 their downward drop. 



Sometimes when I watch this inter- 

 esting event I believe that the Horned 

 Lark enjoys the thrilling drop to the 

 earth more than it does singing while 

 high in the air, and it is the former 

 reason that prompts the Lark to make 

 the sky journey. What do other read- 

 ers who have watched this exhibition 

 of the Prairie Horned Lark think 

 about it? 



This Lark is a common bird in the 

 East Central States but because of its 

 dress which is not conspicuous, it is 

 often overlooked. 



Fred J. Pierce, 

 Winthrop, la. 



H. H. BAILEY 



Harold H. Bailey wishes us to an- 

 nounce that he ha's moved his Mu- 

 seum and Library of National History, 

 to Miami Beach, Florida, where he 

 hopes to establish The Florida Mu- 

 seum of Natural History, at an early 

 date. Mr. Bailey is also already en- 

 gaged on a book on the Birds of Flor- 

 ida." He will appreciate any notes on 

 birds from that State. Exchanges and 

 correspondence should be addressed 

 to Harold H. Bailey, Route One, 

 Miami, Florida. — R. M. B. 



A. C. ABBOTT 



Our friend A. C. writes to change 



