File:Birds and nature (1905) (14569095657).jpg

Identifier: birdsnature11905chic (find matches)
Title: Birds and nature
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Birds Natural history
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Mumford, Publisher
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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piercing note! Its straight, tapering,sharp beak is typical of its voice. Itsnote goes like a shaft from a crossbow;it is a little too sharp and piercing whennear at hand, but, heard in the properperspective, it is eminently melodious andpleasing. It is one of the major notes ofthe fields at this season. In fact, it eas-ily dominates all others. Spring o theyear! spring o the year! it says, with along-drawn breath, a little plaintive, butnot complaining or melancholy. At timesit indulges in something much more intri-cate and lark-like while hovering on thewing in midair, but a song is bevond thecompass of its instrument, and the at-tempt usually ends in a breakdown. Aclear, sweet, strong, high-keyed note,uttered from some knoll or rock, or stakein the fence, is its proper vocal perform-ance. Mr, Ridcrwav has said that thesong of the INTeadowlark is usuallyinterpreted bv the country folks as inti-mating- that laciiicss 7C/7/ kill you whileotlicrs imagine it to say: f^rck—you cant 140
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see me/—a very appropriate translation,we think, in the case of a bird which,Hke this one, plays at hide and seek withus in the meadow/ But syllabic render-ing of this tender song, one of the fin-est to be heard in our rural districts,is very far from satisfactory for it con-veys no impression of the wonderfulsweetness of its notes. The song mustbe heard to be appreciated. The Meadowlarks power of flight isquite limited, its body being quite heavyand its wings too short for prolonged andrapid flying. In rising from the groundits movements are laborious and awk-ward, resembling, somewhat, those of ayoung bird. . When it has risen a fewfeet, it flies straight away by alternateperiods of rapid movements of the wingsand short distances of sailing. Its flightis similar to that of the quail but is moreregular and not as rapid. With theexception of the breeding season, theMeadowlarks are more or less gregari-ous, especially in the fall, when a num-ber of families unite and seek their foodt

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