THE WESTERN MEADOWLARK. 65 
Bird song never exactly conforms to our musical notation, and there is 
no instrument save the human “whistle” which will even passably reproduce 
the quality of the Meadowlark’s song. Nevertheless, many interesting ex- 
periments have been made in recording these songs and a little attention will 
convince the least accomplished musician that there is a fascinating field for 
study here. 
A formal song of the Western Meadowlark comprises from four to a 
dozen notes, usually six or seven. ‘The song phrases vary endlessly in detail, 
yet certain types are clearly distinguishable, types which reappear in different 
parts of the country, apparently without regard to local traditions or suppo- 
sitional schools of song. ‘Thus a Chelan singer says, “Oku wheeler, ku 
wheel'er, and he may not have a rival in a hundred miles; yet another bird 
on the University campus in Seattle sings, Eh heu, wheeliky, wheeliky, or 
even Eh heu wheel'iky, wheel'iky, wheel'iky, and you recognize it instantly 
as belonging to the same type. In like manner Owy‘hee, recitative was heard 
with perfect distinctness both at Wallula and in Okanogan County. 
Each bird has a characteristic song-phrase by which he may be recognized 
and traced thru a season, or thru succeeding years. One boisterous spirit 
in Chelan I shall never forget for he insisted on shouting, hour after hour, 
and day after day, “Hip! Hip! Hurrah! boys; three cheers!’ Yet, while 
this is true, no bird is confined to one style of song. An autumnal soloist 
in Ravenna Park rendered no less than six distinct songs or song-phrases 
in a rehearsal lasting five minutes. He gave them without regard to sequence, 
now repeating the same phrase several times in succession, now hurrying on 
to new forms, pausing only after each utterance for breath. 
Nor is the effort of the Western Meadowlark confined to the formal 
song for he often pours out a flood of warbling, chattering and gurgling notes 
which at close range are very attractive. Not infrequently he will interrupt 
one of these meditative rhapsodies with the clarion call, and return immedi- 
ately to his minor theme. 
In the presence of a stranger the lark serves frequent notice of intended 
departure in a vigorous toop, or toob, accompanying the sound with an 
emphatic flirt of the wings and jerk of the tail. Now and then the actual 
departure is accompanied by a beautiful yodelling song. After several pre- 
liminary toobs the bird launches himself with fantastic exaggeration of effort 
and rolls out, O'ly o'ly oly o'ly o'ly, with ravishing sweetness. 
At nesting time the parent birds have many causes for apprehension, 
and as they move about in search of food they give vent to the toob note of 
distrust in a fashion which soon becomes chronic. In Douglas County this 
note is doubled, two’ bit, or two’ whit, and one cannot recall the varied life of 
the sage in June without hearing as an undertone the half melancholy two’ bit 
of a mother Meadowlark as she works her way homeward by fearful stages. 
