. The birds of California : a complete, scientific and popular account of the 580 species and subspecies of birds found in the state. Birds; Birds. The Vesper Sparrows The Meadowlarks, to be sure, have been romping about for several weeks and getting bolder every day; but they are roisterous fellows, drunk with air and mad with sunshine. The winter-sharpened ears wait hungrily for the poet of common day. The morning he comes a low sweet murmur of praise is heard on every side. You know it will ascend unceasingly thenceforth, and spring is different. Vesper Sparrow is the typical ground bird. H
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. The birds of California : a complete, scientific and popular account of the 580 species and subspecies of birds found in the state. Birds; Birds. The Vesper Sparrows The Meadowlarks, to be sure, have been romping about for several weeks and getting bolder every day; but they are roisterous fellows, drunk with air and mad with sunshine. The winter-sharpened ears wait hungrily for the poet of common day. The morning he comes a low sweet murmur of praise is heard on every side. You know it will ascend unceasingly thenceforth, and spring is different. Vesper Sparrow is the typical ground bird. He eats, runs, sleeps, and rears his family on the ground; but to sing—ah, that is different! Nothing less than the tip of the highest sage- bush will do for that; a telegraph pole or wire is better; and a lone tree in a pasture is not to be despised for this one pur- pose. The males gather in spring to engage in decorous concerts of rivalry. The song consists of a variety of simple, pleasing notes, each uttered two or three times, and all strung together to the number of four or five. The charac- teristic introduction is a mellow whistled he-ho, a little softer in tone than the succeeding notes. The song of the western bird has noticeably greater variety than that of the eastern. Not only is it less stereotyped in the matter of pitch and duration, but in quality and cadence it sometimes shows surprising differences. One heard in Washington, near the 49th parallel, would have passed for Brewer's on a frolic, except for the preliminary "hee-ho's"; Heeoo heeoo heeoo buzziwuzziwuzzi wnzziwuzziwuzzi weechee weechee. And it would not be surprising if he had learned from Spizella breweri, who is a constant neighbor and a safe guide in matters of sage lore. The scolding note, a thrasher-like kissing sound, tsook, will sometimes interrupt a song if the strange listener gets too close. Early morning and late evening are the regular song periods; but the conscientious and inde