MEADOW LARK. 



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is something in the manner of the grouse and partridge, 

 laborious and steady, sailing and renewing the rapid action 

 of the wings alternately. When they alight on trees or 

 hushes, it is generally on the tops of the highest branches, 

 whence they send forth a long, clear, and somewhat melan- 

 choly note, that, in sweetness and tenderness of expression, 

 is not surpassed by any of our numerous warblers. This is 

 sometimes followed by a kind of low, rapid chattering, the 

 particular call of the female ; and again the clear and plaintive 

 strain is repeated as before. They afford tolerably good amuse- 

 ment to the sportsman, being most easily shot while on wing ; 

 as they frequently squat among the long grass, and spring 

 within gunshot. The nest of this species is built generally in, 

 or below, a thick tuft or tussock of grass ; it is composed of 

 dry grass and fine bent, laid at the bottom, and wound all 

 around, leaving an arched entrance level with the ground ; 

 the inside is lined with fine stalks of the same materials, 

 disposed with great regularity. The eggs are four, sometimes 

 five, white, marked with specks, and several large blotches of 

 reddish brown, chiefly at the thick end. Their food consists 

 of caterpillars, grub worms, beetles, and grass seeds, with a 

 considerable proportion of gravel. Their general name is the 

 meadow lark ; among the Virginians, they are usually called 

 the old field-lark. 



The length of this bird is ten inches and a half; extent, 

 sixteen and a half; throat, breast, belly, and line from the eye 

 to the nostrils, rich yellow ; inside lining and edge of the 

 wing, the same ; an oblong crescent of deep velvety black 

 ornaments the lower part of the throat ; lesser wing-coverts, 

 black, broadly bordered with pale ash ; rest of the wing- 

 feathers, light brown, handsomely serrated with black ; a line 

 of yellowish white divides the crown, bounded on each side 

 by a stripe of black, intermixed with bay, and another line of 

 yellowish white passes over each eye, backwards ; cheeks, 

 bluish white ; back, and rest of the upper parts, beautifully 

 variegated with black, bright bay, and pale ocher ; tail, 



