THE WOOD-LARK, 183 



inveigled in this manner, except in fine sunny weather. When the 

 weather becowies gloomy, the larker changes his engine; and makes 

 use of a traiiirnel-net, twenty-seven or twenty eight feet long, and five 

 broad. This is put on two poles, eighteen feet long, ami carried by 

 men, who pass over the fiehls, and quarter the ground as a setting- 

 dog would. When the men hear or feel that a Lark Las hit the net, 

 they drop it down, And thus the birds are taken. 



THE WOOD-LARK. 



The Wood-lark is somewhat smaller than the Sky -lark, and its form 

 IS shorter and more thick. The top of the head and back are marked 

 with large black spots, edged with pale reddish brown. The head ia 

 surroundei with a whitish coronet of feathers, reaching from eye to 

 eye. The throat is of a yellowish white, spotted with black. The 

 breast is tinged with red ; the belly is white ; and the coverts of the 

 wings are brown edo^ed with white and dull yellow. The quill-feathera 

 are dusky ; the exterior edges of the first white, and of the others 

 yellow ; aad their tips are blunt and white. The first feather of the 

 wing is shorter than the second : in the Sky-lark they are nearly 

 equal. The tail is black, the outermost feather tipped with white 

 the exterior web, and the inner side of the interior web, are also white, 

 in the second feather the exterior web only is white. The legs are of 

 a dull yellow. 



In many respects, both of habit and appearance, these birds differ 

 from the Sky-lark. They perch as well in trees as on the ground 

 but this they do only on the largest branches, where they are able to 

 secure their hold without positive!}' embracing the stems with their 

 toes. The Sky-lark forms its nest amongst grass near the bottom of a 

 hedge, or in lays where the grass is rank and dry. The fabric is ot 

 loose texture, and constructed of withered herbs, and fibrous roots, 

 with a few horse-liairs in the inside. It has scarcely any hollow, the 

 bottom being nearly on a levol with the sides. The whole nest is seldom 

 much more than half an ounce ia weight. The number of eggs is 

 about four ; these are of a pale bloom-color, beautifully mottled, and 

 clouded with red aad yellow. 



The young birds are tender, aad not easily to be reared in a cage. 

 When first taken from the nest, they should be fed with raw sheep's 

 heart, or other Lean fresh meat, mixed with hard-boiled egg^ a little 

 bread, and bruised hemp-seed. These must be chopped together as 

 fine as possible, and moistened with water. 



From what circumstance these birds have obtained the appellation 

 of Wood-larks, unless it be from their building in thickets, is difficult 

 to say ; since, like the common species, they are for the most part 

 found only on large and cultivated plains. 



Their song is stated more to resemble that of the Sky -lark. They 

 fling not only in the day-time, but during the night ; not only whilst 

 they are in flight, but also when perched upon the trees. Like the 

 Skj-larka, they assemble in considerable flocks during frosty weather. 



