BIRDS AND POETS 17 
and is said to be not at allinferior. This is Sprague’s 
pipit, sometimes called the Missouri skylark, an ex- 
celsior songster, which from far up in the transparent 
blue rains down its notes for many minutes together. 
It is, no doubt, destined to figure in the future 
poetical literature of the West. 
Throughout the northern and eastern parts of the 
Union the lark would find a dangerous rival in the 
bobolink, a bird that has no European prototype, 
and no near relatives anywhere, standing quite 
alone, unique, and, in the qualities of hilarity and 
musical tintinnabulation, with a song unequaled. 
He has already a secure place in general literature, 
having been laureated by a no less poet than Bry- 
ant, and invested with a lasting human charm in 
the sunny page of Irving, and is the only one of 
our songsters, I believe, the mockingbird cannot 
parody or imitate. He affords the most marked 
example of exuberant pride, and a glad, rollicking, 
holiday spirit, that can be seen among our birds. 
Every note expresses complacency and glee. He is 
a beau of the first pattern, and, unlike any other 
bird of my acquaintance, pushes his gallantry to the 
point of wheeling gayly into the train of every 
female that comes along, even after the season of 
courtship is over and the matches all settled; and 
when she leads him on too wild a chase, he turns 
lightly about and breaks out with a song that is 
precisely analogous to a burst of gay and self-satis- 
fied laughter, as much as to say, “ Ha/ ha/ ha! 
I must have my fun, Miss Silverthimble, thim- 
