OUR SWEETEST SONGSTERS. 65 



Suddenly the song ceased, the bird closed its 

 wings, and plunged head downward like an 

 arrow, only opening its wings when within a 

 yard of the ground, and alighting almost at 

 the point from which it had risen. 



The writer says that a description of the 

 song would be difficult, but he gives some idea 

 of it by adding that it consists of a succession 

 of notes, beginning at a high pitch, warbled in 

 a diminishing strain, that is very pleasing and 

 melodious indeed. Certainly this pipit of our 

 prairies behaves much like the celebrated sky- 

 lark of " ye olden countrie." 



But — would you believe it ? — there is an- 

 other bird on the prairies of the West which 

 seems to vie with the skylark in aerial song. 

 It is called the prairie horned lark. The writer 

 to whom I have just referred has given a de- 

 scription of this bird's flight and vocal perform- 

 ance. He once saw a male leap about ten feet 

 from the ground and burst into song. The 

 writer says he poured forth such a volume of 

 melody that it seemed he should have burst if 

 he had closed his mouth for a moment. Then 

 the bird turned abruptly to the right, sailing 

 away about fifty yards, when he suddenly 

 wheeled with a rapid flutter of the wings that 

 lifted him thirty feet or more, after which he 



