THE WESTERN LARK SPARROW. 



105 



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ing young ranclier. ni\' ciinii)ani(in hallc(l with a cr\'. He had cans^lit tlic 

 gleam of a Lark Sparrow's eye as slie sat l>ruotling under a perfect mu]) of 

 dead broom-sage. The camera was l)rought into recjuisition, and the lens 

 pointed downward. The caniera-clotii l)cllied and flapped in the l)rceze, yellow 

 tripod legs waxed belligerently, and altogether there was much noise of 

 photographic com- 

 merce, but the little 

 mother clung to her 

 eggs. The stupid 

 glass eye of the ma- 

 chine, spite of all 

 coa.xing, saw noth- 

 ing but twigs, and 

 we were oliliged to 

 forego a picture of 

 the sitting bird. To 

 get the accompany- 

 ing picture of eggs, 

 I was obliged to 

 hack away the pro 

 tecting brush, hav- 

 ing first slipped in a 

 handkerchief to pro- 

 tect tlie nest and 

 contents from 

 showering debris. 



The desert harbors 

 many choice spirits, 

 but none (save the 

 incomparable Sage 

 Thrasher) more joy- 

 ous or more talented 

 than the Lark Spar- 

 row. Whether it 

 is running nimbly 

 along the ground or leaping into the air to catch a risen, grasshopper, one 

 feels instinctively that here is a dainty breed. The bird loves to trip ahead 

 coquettishly along a dusty road, only to yield place at last to your insistent 

 steed with an air of gentle reproach. As it flits away you catch a glimi)se 

 of the rounded tail, held Iialf open, with its terminal rim of white, and you 

 know you have met the aristocrat of the sage. 



Lark Sparrows are smncwhat irregular in distriinitiiMi. but their range 



Takfii near Chelan. Photo by the Aiitho 



r.uouxn Ni-;sT of western lark spauuow. 



