280 THE INVITATION. 



and ploughed ground. As they fly up, they 

 show two or three white quills in the tail, like 

 the vesper-sparrow. Flying over, they utter 

 a single chirp or cry every few rods. They 

 breed in the bleak, moss-covered rocks of 

 Labrador. Their eggs have also been found 

 in Vermont, and I feel quite certain that I 

 saw this bird in the Adirondac Mountains 

 in the month of August. The male launches 

 into the air, and gives forth a brief but 

 melodious song, after the manner of all larks. 

 They are walkers. This is a characteristic 

 of but few of our land-birds. By far the 

 greater number are hoppers. Note the track 

 of the common snow-bird ; the feet are not 

 placed one in front of the other, as in the 

 track of the crow or partridge, but side by 

 side. The sparrows, thrushes, warblers, 

 woodpeckers, buntings, etc., are all hoppers. 

 On the other hand, all aquatic or semi-aqua- 

 tic birds are walkers. The plovers and sand- 

 pipers and snipes run rapidly. Among the 

 land-birds, the grouse, pigeons, quails, larks, 

 and various blackbirds, walk. The swallows 

 walk, also, whenever they use their feet at 

 all, but very awkwardly. The larks walk 

 with ease and grace. Note the meadow-lark 

 strutting about all day in the meadows. 



