loS 



THE WESTERN' \ ESl'EK Sl'.WROW, 



than the siiccfcdinj^ notes. The song of tlie western l)ir(l has noticeably jjrcater 



variety tlian that of the eastern. Not only is it less stereotyiied in tlie matter of 



pitdi and duration, Init in (|uality and cadence it sometimes shows surprising 



(hiTerences. (Jne lieard in t'litlan County would liave ])assed for Hrewer's 



on a frolic, e.\cei)t for ilic preliminary "lii-c-lm's" : llccoo hccoo hccoo 



bucci'U'uccm'iicci . , , % . • , , • i • 



7iiizcnciic:ra'ii::t wccclicc 7i.'iwcltci'. .And mdeeil it would 



not he smprising if he had learned from S/>icrlla hrcwcri, wlio is a constant 



neigiihor and a safe guide in matters of sage lore. The scolding note, a 



thraslur-iike kissing sound, Isoolc. will sometimes interrupt a song if the 



str.inge listener gets too close. ICarly morning and late evening are the 



regni.ir song ])erioils; hut the conscientious and indefatigable singer is more 



apt than most to interrupt the noontide stillness also. 



Since this siiecies is a bird of oikmi ci>untry and U])lands. it cares little for 



the vicinity of water; but it loves the dust of country roads as dearlv as an old 



hen. an<l the daily <lust-bath is a familiar sight to every traveler. While 



seeking its fiMnl of weed-seeds and insects, it runs busily alxmt u|)on the 



ground, skulking and rumiing oftcner than flitting for safetv. .\lthn ncjt 



csi)ecially timid it 



seems to take a sort 



of ])rofessional i)rido 



in l)eing able to slip 



aljout ami >ng the 



weed stems unseen. 



It is, of course, at 



nesting time that the 



sneak-ability of the 



bird is most severely 



ic^tcii. The nest, a 



s i m !> 1 e affair <if 



coiled grasses, is 



usually s u n k, or 



chaml>ered in the 



ground, so that its 



brim comes (lush 



with the surface. 



For the rest, the 



brooding bird seldom seeks any other protection than that of "luck." and her 



own abilitv to elude observation when obligeil to ipiit the nest. Her l>ehavior 



at this time depcmls largely up<in the amount of disturbance to which she is 



subjected. .\t tlrst approach of danger she is inclined to stick to her post till 



the last ]>ossiblc moment, and then she falls lame as she flutters off. Hut if 



often frightened, she slircwdly learns to rise at a considerable distance. 



Tcit-.-n 111 Douglas d'unly. 



TIIC KATTLCSNAKC IS 



TUK ENKMV. 



TlIK SCOIRCB of ALU CH 



Phulo by the Aulhn 

 9'NesTiNr. aiiiDS. 



