Birds of Oregon and Washington 45 



in justice, to say of the bird, there and here, that 

 its only blemish as a singer is that it usually 

 ends its melody too abruptly. The Wood 

 Thrush, to which Mr. Seton-Thompson refers, 

 lets its final note melt into the air. Still, at 

 times and at a little distance, I have heard an 

 extraordinary singer among our Meadowlarks 

 give the effect of the Hermit Thrush of the 

 Eastern States that bird which John Burroughs 

 calls the most spiritual of singers. 



The Meadowlark of the East, though almost 

 the same as ours in color, size and form, has, 

 in comparison, a very thin, though sweet, voice 

 and a more unvaried song ; it is never seen 

 so near human dwellings as is the Western 

 Meadowlark. 



This bird nests in the grass, and early in the 

 season. Its young are sometimes on the wing 

 by May 25th. 



It should be stated here that the Meadowlark, 

 though called a " Lark," is, properly speaking, 

 not a Lark at all, but belongs to the Oriole 

 family. 



During the past year, my wife has written 

 down a few of the songs of these birds, heard 



