244 THE INVITATION. 



plains of Dakota, which mounts to the height of three 

 or four hundred feet, and showers down its ecstatic 

 notes. It is evidently akin to several of our Eastern 

 species. 



A correspondent, writing to me from the country 

 one September, says, "I have observed recently a 

 new species of bird here. They alight upon the 

 buildings and fences as well as upon the ground. 

 They are walkers." In a few days he obtained one, 

 and sent me the skin. It proved to be what I had 

 anticipated, namely, the American pipit, or titlark, a 

 slender brown bird, about the size of the sparrow, 

 which passes through the States in the fall and spring, 

 to and from its breeding haunts in the far North. 

 They generally appear by twos and threes, or in 

 small loose flocks, searching for food on banks and 

 plowed 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 

 oird in the Adirondac Mountains in the month ol 

 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 

 inow-bird ; the feet are not placed one in front of the 

 tther, as in the track of the crow or partridge, but 



