The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-18

observed Habitually a fence rail or post
is the point of vantage from which he
sounds his call, but at this all important
time he is not content with so humble a
station, but instead takes his stand on the
tOpmost spray of a eucalyptus tree to pour
forth his passionate love song. His rivals
occupy similar positions in adjacent trees,
all singing, sometimes in concert, but fire.
quently in turn. their loudest and sweetest
notes, like the festivals of the Minnesingers
OF old.
Less musical although full of animation
and buoyancy, is the rafting call which
they utter. Toward the latter part of
March and in early April, when the duties
OF nesting are all-engrossing, the lark be-
comes comparatively silent for time,
although never utterly songless. The nest
is placed in a hollow among grain or
grasses of some sort, woven of soft grass,
and usually arched overhead with the same.
Five or six white eggs, sprinkled with
dots of reddish brown, are laid therein, to
gladden. the hearts of the fond parents.
When the young are safely reared the
birds assemble in focks, remaining thus
throughout the winter In cold weather
they betake themselves regularly to the
hills Just before sunset to find shelter in
their tangled hollows.
AS to the food of the meadow lark, it's
diet is uncommonly varied. Insects and
grubs are its choice, although seeds and
grain may be moderately sampled in sea-
son. L have yet to hear of a single reliable
instance where crop of any form of grain
has been damaged by them to serious
extent, whereas negative evidence-of sue
cessful crops where larks were very abun-
dant-can be found on every hand. The
destruction of this bird will be at the peril
of its slayers, for the grubs upon which it
eeds are ten times as great menace to
hcf for hal blvd
That the meadow lark, from ignorance
or error, should be killed in self-protec-
ton to the farmer is not so grave an
offense, but that the carnal greed of the
gourmand or the gluttony of the epicure
should be fostered at so dear q price is q
wrong which no high-minded community
could tolerate. To barter a palpitating
spirit, blithesome with the sunshine of the
meadows, vocal with untold melodies
of spring, ardent with love and de-
sire, for sizzling little lump
OF meat that can tickle the palate
for not more than five minutes at the
longest-this were indeed bargain worthy
of the prince of darkness HIMSELF Let all
good men and women lift their voices in
protest at such barbaric self-indulgence.
Let US protect our song birds while we
have them, for anon they will be gone and
our meadows and woodland silenced !;
when 10 bewail the follies of the past will
be idleness, and to recall the glory that has
gone from the land will be impossible.
The timely articles in THE CALL from the
pen of Miss Adeline Knapp, which first di-
rected attention to this matter, and the
subsequent meetings of the Century Club
at which the subject was discussed, have
done much to arouse public interest in the
preservation of this peerless bird. May
the interest be cherished and extended !
May it be widened to include all our native
birds which are suffering such havoc at the
hands of the small boys and the vain
women who adorn themselves with the
withered corpses of creatures that were
but late the happiest and most lightsome
of animate beings. CHARLES A. KELLER.