214 LAND BIRDS 



begins its chant, to end only when all the world is asleep, 

 and when its music alone breaks the silence of the 

 forest. 



Hidden deep in the grass of the meadow is its nest, 

 woven of grass and rootlets, and roofed with leaning 

 green spears. Here, rendered doubly safe by her protec- 

 tive coloring, the pretty brown mother broods for twelve 

 days, and though you may locate the spot you will find 

 her difficult to discover. I have actually put my hand 

 down within a few inches of the nest without noticing it, 

 even when I was looking for it. The young are born 

 without feathers and are blind, like most young birds ; 

 but they soon don coats of soft brown, indistinctly 

 streaked with darker, and, did not their open mouths 

 stretched up for food betray them, they would, I am 

 sure, never be discovered. Tiie feeding is by regurgita- 

 tion for the first four days. In eight to ten days they 

 are feathered, and leave the nest, though unable to fly. 

 Like the meadowlarks, they remain hidden in the long 

 grass, fed by both parents, and gradually becoming ex- 

 pert in picking up bugs for themselves. 



In the fall the broods flock together in small com- 

 panies, and leaving the high altitude of the breeding 

 grounds, gradually work down to the brush-covered 

 foot-hills for winter food and shelter. 



