STURNELLA NEGLECTA. 507 



are found together, each preserving with perfect distinctness its peculiarities 

 of habits and voice, there not being that gradual transition from one to the 

 other, in proceeding eastward or westward, which would exist in case the 

 differences were merely the impress of geographical causes. 



We know of no two congeneric species, of any family of birds, more 

 radically distinct in all their utterances than the eastern and western Meadow 

 Larks, two years of almost daily association with the latter, and a much 

 longer familiarity with the former, having thoroughly convinced us of this 

 fact ; indeed, as has been the experience of every naturalist whose remarks 

 on the subject we have read or heard, we never even so much as suspected, 

 upon hearing the song of the Western Lai-k for the first time, that the author 

 of the clear, loud, ringing notes were those of a bii'd at all related to the 

 Eastern Lark, whose song, though equally sweet, is far more subdued — 

 half-timid — and altogether less powerful and varied. As to strength of 

 voice, no eastern bird can be compared to this, while its notes possess a 

 metallic resonance equalled only by those of the Wood Thrush. The modu- 

 lation of the song of the Western Lark we noted on several occasions, and 

 found it to be most frequently nearly as expressed by the following sylla- 

 bles : Tung' -tung^-tung' all ^ tillah'-tiUah', tung" — the first three notes deliberate, 

 full, and resonant, the next two finer and in a higher key, the final one like 

 the first in accent and tone. Sometimes this song is varied by a metallic 

 trill, which renders it still more pleasing. The ordinary note is a deep- 

 toned tuck, much like the chuck of the Blackbirds (Quiscalus), but consid- 

 erably louder and more metallic ; another note is a prolonged rolling chat- 

 ter, somewhat similar to that of the Baltimore Oriole {Icterus haltimore), but 

 correspondingly louder, while the anxious call-note is a liquid tyur, which 

 in its tone and expression calls to mind the spring-call (not the warble) of 

 the Eastern Blue-bird {Sialia sialis), or the exceedingly similar complaining 

 note of the Orchard Oriole {Icterus spiirius). In ftict, all the notes of the 

 Western Lark clearly indicate its position in the family Icteridte, which is 

 conspicuously not the case in the eastern bird.^ 



'Tbe soug itself is more like that of the Common Troiipial (Icterus vulgaris) than 

 any other we have ever beard, but it is, if anything, more powerful ; the tone and 

 accent are, however, exceedingly similar. 



