132 THE BIRDS ABOUT Us. 



Wilson says, 



" Though this well-known species cannot boast of the powers of 

 song which distinguish that " harbinger of day," the Skylark of 

 Europe, yet in richness of plumage as well as in sweetness of voice 

 (as far as his few notes extend) he stands eminently its superior." 



Of course it must be remembered that the meadow- 

 " lark" is not a lark at all, but allied to the red-wings 

 and reed-bird on the one hand and orioles on the 

 other. It does not seem to me that Nuttall does our 

 bird justice in the matter of its song. 



The Western Meadow-lark, which is now consid- 

 ered but a variety, has a much sweeter and more 

 varied song, and those who have heard it are inclined 

 to believe that it is a difference having true specific 



significance. On the other hand, it must be remem- 

 bered that the difference among birds in the same 

 flock in the Middle States is very marked, and occa- 

 sionally, when we have a peculiarly bright, sparkling 

 May morning, the meadow-larks will be roused to 



