floats gently to the ground, uttering, as 

 it slowly sinks its liquid tones which fall 

 in a tinkding succession upon the ear 

 and are, perhaps, the sweetest notes that 

 one hears during the entire spring-time 

 of these regions. It is an exquisite jing- 

 ling melody, having much less power 

 than that of the bobolink, but with the 

 same general character and, though 

 shorter, it has even more melody than 

 the song of that well known bird." 



Mr. Montague Chamberlin, writing 

 of the Longspurs in Greenland, speaks 

 of their dropping song which he de- 

 scribes as "not very long, but has a fine 

 flute-like tone, and though agreeable to 

 the ear is rather melancholy, as all the 

 notes of this bird are." Continuing, he 

 says : ''There is no variation in the 

 song, nor is it repeated with great fre- 

 quency. It is, however, the finest heard 

 in these wilds." The Longspurs have 



several alarm notes, and one which is 

 uttered when a flock is flushed, has been 

 likened to that of the kingfisher, Init it 

 is neither as loud or as harsh. 



The nest of this attractive bird is 

 placed on the ground under tufts of grass 

 or bunches of small willows. It is con- 

 structed with moss and fine grasses and 

 lined with grasses and frequently also 

 with feathers. The female is a close sit- 

 ter, and relies on the color of her plu- 

 mage and the position of her nest, for 

 protection. She will sometimes remain 

 on her nest until nearly trodden on. 



It is not a wonder that this beautiful 

 and gentle bird should have inspired Mr. 

 Burroughs to place in verse his impres- 

 sions of its winsome ways and write : 



Soaring over meadows wild 

 (Greener pastures never smiled) ; 

 Kaining mnsic from above, 

 Full of rapture, full of love. 



THE CATTLE SPIDER, 



The cattle spider, as its name indi- 

 cates, is a terror to roaming herds of the 

 tropics. It makes its burrow in the 

 ground, and when its habitation is dis- 

 turbed by the unwary tread of the ani- 

 mals it rushes from its hole and buries 

 its tiny toxic fangs in the first tender 

 spot it reaches, which is always just above 

 the hoof. The wound thus inflicted 

 caused inflammation and fever in two or 

 three hours, while the venom produces 

 extraordinary swelling. Unless prompt 

 attention is given to the wounded animal 



suppuration will eventually set in -and the 

 hoof will separate from the skin and fall 

 off. This most frequently happens when 

 domestic animals roam far away from the 

 haciendas, and, having no means of com- 

 municating their ailments, die in great 

 agony. Fortunately for these helpless 

 brutes, the cattle spider is not numerous 

 and locates his burrow remote from high- 

 ways and field paths, seeming only to 

 demand that he should be left undis- 

 turbed. 



Andrew^ James Miller. 



