340 Trees, Stars, and Birds 



summer, and in many states are to be seen also in win- 

 ter. If they are not molested, some meadowlarks 

 venture into parks and vacant lots in towns. 



The song of the meadowlark is a clear, plaintive whistle 

 of unusual sweetness, very different from a blackbird's 

 note. It differs in different parts of the country and with 

 individual birds in the same region. As usually heard 

 at Englewood, New Jersey, Frank M. Chapman gives it : 



llMJ"-4- ' I I 'II 



Besides its song, a meadowlark has various call notes. 



The nests of these birds are well concealed in the grass. 

 Like a number of other birds that nest on the ground, a 

 meadowlark will either remain on the nest until a per- 

 son is almost on it or will try to lead him away from it. 



Many meadowlarks have been shot by persons who 

 wanted them for food or who merely wanted to shoot 

 something. They are very useful birds, and ought to be 

 carefully protected at all seasons. They eat grasshoppers, 

 crickets, cotton-boll weevils, alfalfa weevils, wireworms, 

 and caterpillars, including cutworms and army worms. 



The bobolink. The bobolink 1 is known in the South 

 as the " ricebird." The male in spring is entirely black 

 beneath and partly black above, the rest being white 

 and cream color. Sometimes it is called " skunk 

 blackbird." Why? The female is pale buff, the upper 

 parts and sides streaked with black. The beak is so 

 short that the bobolink might be taken for a member 

 of the sparrow family. 



1 Read Bryant's poem, " Robert of Lincoln." 



