The Western Lark Sparrow 



11^ 



with an air of gentle re- 

 proach. As it flits away, 

 you catch a glimpse of 

 the rounded tail held half 

 open, with its terminal 

 rim of white; and you 

 know that you have met 

 the aristocrat of the 

 sage. 



Or it may be you 

 have caught the bird 

 singing from a fence- 

 post, and rather than 

 lose his run (for poesy 

 also has its mechanics), 

 he will pause momentar- 

 ily instead of seeking 

 safety in flight. Then 

 that marvelous head 

 comes into full view. 

 What a striped beauty 

 he is! A finger-ring slip- 

 ped over theQuail-head's 

 head will pass twenty- 

 three patches of pure 

 color, — black, white, 

 chestnut and buffy, be- 

 fore it encounters a 

 streaky admixture of 

 flaxen, black, and rufous- 

 tawny on the hindhead. 

 The rest of the bird is 

 "sparrow-color," above, relieved only by the flashing white tips of the fan- 

 shaped tail. If you are very lucky or very well-behaved, the song will 

 resume. And the song of the Lark Sparrow is one of Nature's sacraments. 



This bird, more frequently than others, is found singing in the middle 

 of the very hottest days in summer, and at such times his tremulous notes 

 come to the ear like the gurgling of sweet waters. But Ridgway's 

 description is still unsurpassed. 1 "This song is composed of a series of 

 chants, each syllable rich, loud, and clear, interspersed with emotional 

 trills. At the beginning the song reminds one somewhat of that of the 



Taken in San Diego County 



A HEAVILY 



MARKED TYPE: 



Photo by Donald R. Diekey 

 NATURAL SIZE 



"Birds of Illinois." Vol. I., p. 263 



2 3 8 



