THE PERCHING BIRDS. 119 



I am very sure that Traill's flycatcher does occa- 

 sionally linger in New Jersey, and the other, the 

 least flycatcher, is not uncommon. There are no 

 birds that give to our quiet woods a greater charm 

 than these little flycatchers. The right royal song- 

 sters generally seek the edges of woodland, or con- 

 tent themselves with thickets, the river's banks, or 

 even the open field. The high, dry, open woods are 

 so apt to be deserted in summer that we have a feel- 

 ing of loneliness when in them ; but if, happily, an 

 Acadian flycatcher wanders your way, you have ex- 

 cellent company. He offers no music and performs 

 no acrobatic feats ; is neither philosopher nor fool ; but 

 what we all enjoy more than either, a right royal 

 good fellow. 



Following in the order given by Ridgway, but a 

 wonderfully different bird, is the beautiful Horned 

 Lark. We have been considering birds of the trees 

 and of the air, and are now brought to the ground, 

 for these larks are either on the grassy fields or in 

 the air, going from one field to another. Unless, 

 therefore, seen in flight, it is quite possible to pass 

 them by, for they not only are not shy, but if busy 

 feeding prefer to squat rather than expose themselves 

 by taking wing. 



The horned lark of the Atlantic seaboard is the 

 lark, and the eleven varieties scattered in the West 

 are only varieties, with a little more or less tone in 

 the color of the feathers to give joy to museum 

 students and confuse those who like the live bird in 

 the home of its own choice. Our horned larks, then, 

 spend their summers in Newfoundland and Labrador, 



