144 Birds Every Child Should Know 



sides of its tail to be sure it is not the big, 

 brownish flicker, who wears a patch of white 

 feathers on its lower back, conspicuous as it 

 flies. The meadowlark has the impolite habit 

 of turning its back upon one as if it thought 

 its 3^ellow breast too beautiful for human eyes 

 to gaze at. It flaps and sails through the air 

 much like bob-white. But flying is not its 

 specialty. It is, however, a strong-legged, 

 active walker, and rarely rises from the ground 

 unless an intruder gets very near, when away 

 it flies, with a nasal, sputtered alarm note, 

 to alight upon a fence rail or other low perch. 



The tender, sweet, plaintive, flute-like whistle, 

 Spring-o' -the -year, is a deliberate song usually 

 given from some favourite platform — a stump, 

 a rock, a fence or a mound, to which the bird 

 goes for his musical performance only. He 

 sings on and on delightfully, not always the 

 same song, for he has several in his repertoire, 

 and charms all listeners, although he cares 

 to please none but his mate, that looks just 

 like him. 



She keeps well concealed among the grasses 

 where her grassy nest is almost impossible 

 to find, especially if it be partly arched over 

 at the top. No farmer who realises what an 

 enormous number of grasshoppers, not to 

 mention other destructive insects, meadow- 

 larks destroy, is foolish enough to let his 



