Evening star., 1901-12-07

the mating season is at hand. In fall and
winter when the sun is bright you may
low. subdued manner. You might say he
almost whispers it to himself as he takes
sun bath on the top of some tree.
Some morning in early summer let us fol-
low his song. We hear Il again and again
from the high grass ahead OF us. There,
see him? He started out OF the rank grass
just ahead. Notice his flight carefully; IL
is different from most of our other birds.
The wings do not seem to strike the air
with any downward motion, as is common
with most birds, but they appear to be
quickly drawn close to the body and then
suddenly expanded horizontally. 1t makes
his flight have a peculiar, jerky appear
ance. When he has gained some momentum
he sails a short distance, then uses his
wings again. Thus he flies heavily, al
ternately using his wings and sailing As
he rises from the ground he spreads his
tail to its full extent, showing the white
on its outer edges.
Nests in High Grass.
Mark the spot where the bird arose, for
that is the only way you can find the care
fully concealed nest. You will usually dis
cover the nest in high grass, and as it is
often arched over it is almost invisible to
the quickest eye. Often slight depression
is used in which to place the nest, thus
making 1t appear more on a level with the
surrounding surface. 1t Is cunningly
placed that you might walk over it a hum
dred times and never see IL.
The nest is a rather bulky affair and IS
composed of grass and weed stems loosely
woven together. / have found nests, and
when L wished to return to them they
seemed to have disappeared. / have hunted
over and over the ground, but TO no pur-
pose. The only method L have been able to
use in relocating these nests after once
discovering them is to put a small stake
near. The eggs are five six in number
and are white, more or less thickly spotted
with reddish brown. They measure about
an inch in length each.
The larks are more numerous in the low
lands lying near large streams during the
summer and early fan months. As winter
approaches they form in loose fiocks Of
from five to twenty individuals and seek
the high ridge fields. They rarely come
about the houses or barns, but love the
open stretches of cultivated fields and
meadows.
Cold Spell Fare.
During some severe weather several win
ters past a small flock came into my cattle
barn. The cold and deep snow had SUBJ
dued them and they fed among the cattle
and hogs. AS the cold spell' lasted for
almost a week. they became quite tame
and 1 hoped they would stay about the
house. A few bright warm days, and the
snow began tc show brown patches of earth
here and there, and my larks went back to
the wide fields which were their true
homes. For the first few days they did not
go far from the barn TO feed and / often
heard their subdued whistling from the tree
tops near at hand. In the cold of winter
IL was pleasant TO have this soft music
which suggestive of the whisperings
of love in nature as the sun comes north
ward. We had no more severe weather
that winter and 1 never saw the larks
again.
Like most birds which live on the ground
the lark's back is an exquisite nothing of
browns and blacks. Indeed his back har-
monies so well with the ground which
he feeds that, unless he turned his bright
be able to see him. How wonderfully ma
ture fits all her children for their environ
ment. The longer you study nature. the
more wonderful it all seems birds in wide
ly different families having the same haunts
show very much the same markings TO
make them invisible. A larks back mark
ings are much the same as those of the
snipe or the partridge, and yet the lark is
a first cousin to the black bird and the
oriole. Thus 1t is seen that the bird, no
matter what it's family, has been nodded
to fit 1t for It's life.
His CHEEKY Whistle.
There IS no necessity of giving detailed
description Of this well-known bird, for he
is found commonly over a large area of
the United States. His bright yellow breast
with its black throat band and his CHEEKY
whistle are known to every farmer boy,
while too many hunters use the bird for
target practice.
1t is a great pity that the larks are not
better protected by our farmers, for they
are the farmers best friend. They eat no
fruits or vegetables which the farmer prizes
and do not injure any grain grass seed.
Their main diet Is grubs and insects which
live in the open fields and meadows and are
sure to injure growing crops.