THE MEADOW STARLINGS 101 
cozy home it is. It is none of the open, cup-like 
nests that anybody can see into. It has a roof, 
if you please, and sometimes a covered way — 
like a hall —leading to it. The roof of the 
nest is made by drawing the grass stems over it 
and weaving them together. So it is very hard 
to find. And it is hidden in the long meadow 
grass besides. | 
You might think the little family would get | 
hurt when the haymakers came to cut the grass. 
So they would, if they happened to be there. 
But lark babies are out of the egg before that 
time, and they run about as soon as they can 
stand. Sometimes when a nest has been dis- 
turbed, and the birds have had to make a second 
one, the little ones are not out when the mowers 
come on. Then there are apt to be sad times in 
the family. But I have known mowers who 
carefully cut around a nest, and did not hurt 
the nestlings. That is a good thing to do, 
for the birds are so useful and such fine singers 
that we want as many as we can have. 
The meadowlark is a shy bird, and so is more 
often heard than seen. His song is charming, 
and he has besides a strange call, a sort of harsh 
sputter, or chatter, sometimes as he flies over. 
No doubt he has many more ways of expressing 
