206 



OKDEES OF BIKDS— PERCHEES AND SINGEES 



THE HORNED LARK FAMILY. 



Alarididae. 



There is a Lark Family which we regret to say 

 does not include the meadovj-lark; for this sepa- 

 ration of birds bearing the same general name 

 tends to create confusion. In Europe the Lark 

 Family is a very large one, and contains about a 

 hundred species, the most celebrated of which is 

 the unfortunate skylark. It is unfortunate be- 

 cause of the wholesale and heartless manner in 

 which it is caught and kept in pitiful captivity 

 as a "cage-bird." In London these wretched 

 little creatures are sold by the thousand, some- 

 times at sixpence each, or even less. 



Strange to say, in America the Lark Family 

 is represented by only twelve species and sub- 

 species, of which the Horned Lark or Shore 

 Lark' is the best type. It is called "Horned" 

 Lark because of a small, pointed tuft or brush 

 of feathers which lies along the side of the head 

 above the eye, pointing backward and thrusting 

 its tip through the regular outline of the back 

 of the head. The resemblance of these points 

 to horns is quite far-fetched, but it seems to 

 have been brought in to stay. 



This bird looks very much like a small plover. 

 Our eastern species is by habit a shore-bird, 

 whence its second name. It comes to us in 

 winter, in flocks of from six to twenty individ- 

 uals, and at that season its plumage is not so 

 bright and pleasing as in spring. 



The West and Southwest are inhabited by 

 nine subspecies of Horned Larks, ranging all 

 the way from Mexico to British Columbia, some 

 of them necessarily living in hot countries, and 

 far from large bodies of water. 



THE FLYCATCHER FAMILY. 



Tyrannidae. 

 There are many little birds, in size next above 

 the sparrows, which look as if they ought to sing; 



' 0-toc'o-ris al-p^'tris. Length, 7.50 inches. 



but in reaUty they do not. They are very ex- 

 pert at catching insects, however, and nothing 

 that flies can escape them in mid-air. These 

 birds mq,ke up the Family of Flycatchers, and 

 to the farmers of this country every flycatcher 

 is worth double its weight in pure silver. Alto- 

 gether there are about thirty species. 



The Kingbird,-' also called the Bee "Martin" 

 and Bee-Bird, may well stand as the repre- 

 sentative of this Family. Whenever you see a 

 small bird swiftly and actively chasing a large 

 crow in mid-air, darting down upon the back of 

 the black fellow every hundred feet or so, with 

 a peck that sends a thrill of life along his keel, 

 you may know that the gallant little warrior is 

 a Kingbird, and it is driving the crow away from 

 the vicinity of its nest. The performance is like 

 that of a man and a mad hornet. The crow 

 thinks not of battle, but only of getting on in 

 the world, and giving the nestlings of his tor- 

 mentor a good square mile of crowless space in 

 which to grow. 



Look long enough, and you will see the King- 

 bird return from the chase, perch on his favorite 

 dead limb at the edge of the field, smooth his 

 feathers and renew his watch for flying in- 

 sects. Presently you will see him dart from 

 his perch, swoop to a certain point in space, 

 and then return, to his place. He has caught 

 some flying insect, and like Oliver, "wants some 

 more." 



Never shoot a Kingbird. It is easier to " iden- 

 tify the species" on the wing than lying dead, 

 all shot to pieces. Without killing this most 

 courageous of all birds — which can whip almost 

 anything that wears feathers, but attacks 

 only crows and hawks — you can see that its 

 colors are bluish-gray, trimmed with black and 

 white. 



The Crested Flycatcher, the dear little Phaihe- 

 Bird, and the Wood-Pewee belong to the Fly- 

 catcher Family. 



* Ty-ran'nus ty-ran'nus. Length, 8 inches. 



