THE INVITATION. 281 



Besides being walkers, the larks, or birds 

 allied to the larks, all sing upon the wing, 

 usually poised or circling in the air, with a 

 hovering, tremulous flight. The meadow- 

 lark occasionally does this in the early part 

 of the season. At such times its long-drawn 

 note or whistle becomes a rich, amorous war- 

 ble. 



The bobolink, also, has both characteris- 

 tics, and notwithstanding the difference of 

 form and build, etc., is very suggestive of 

 the English skylark, as it figures in the 

 books, and is, no doubt, fully its equal as a 

 songster. 



Of our small wood-birds we have three 

 varieties, east of the Mississippi, closely re- 

 lated to each other, which I have already 

 spoken of, and which walk and sing, more 

 or less, on the wing, namely, the two species 

 of water-thrush, or wagtails, and the oven- 

 bird, or wood-wagtail. The latter is the most 

 common, and few observers of the birds can 

 have failed to notice its easy, gliding walk. 

 Its other lark trait, namely, singing in the 

 air, seems not to have been observed by 

 any naturalist. Yet, it is a well established 

 characteristic, and may be verified by any 

 person who will spend a half hour in the 



