THE SKY-LARK 173 



The migrations of the Sky-Lark, especially in 

 autumn, are by no means the least interesting part 

 of its history. Each autumn it pours into Western 

 Europe and across the North Sea into our islands 

 in numbers that can be described only as amazing. 

 During October and November millions of this bird 

 must enter our eastern counties or sweep along the 

 British coasts of the North Sea on their way to 

 winter quarters still further south. Day after day, 

 and night after night, this stupendous migration of 

 Sky-Larks goes on, the birds appearing in never- 

 ending flocks. There can be little or no doubt that 

 the birds that breed in our islands are sedentary ; 

 they become gregarious to a great extent in autumn 

 and winter, and are subject to a certain amount of 

 local movement, especially from the more elevated 

 haunts, but this seems all. The Sky-Lark is 

 perhaps the best known, although by no means 

 the most familiar, of all our native birds, and 

 finds a place in our hearts and our literature such 

 as no other species can ever fill. It has found 

 more favour with our poets than any other British 

 bird ; whilst as a cage-bird from England to 

 Japan it is universally esteemed. In our islands 

 the chief resorts of the Sky- Lark are the open 

 fields, and, less frequently perhaps, the breezy up- 

 lands, the commons and the moors. It delights 

 in districts comparatively free from trees, and is 

 always most abundant on the highest land in every 



