THE WOOD-LARK i8i 



and in parts may almost be said to rival that of 

 the Blackcap. The Wood- Lark is a most industrious 

 singer ; warbling early and late, often being heard 

 at dawn, as well as in the evening gloom. The 

 bird is almost a perennial singer, and may be heard 

 in voice through the year, with the exception of a 

 few weeks in mid-winter, and during the period 

 of the annual moult. We remember the exceptional 

 abundance of this Lark in some parts of Algeria, 

 where we could count half-a-dozen birds in the air 

 together all in splendid song. We also noted its 

 unusual tameness, for birds would very often sit and 

 sing on some low bush within a few yards of where 

 we stood to listen to them. The possessor of such 

 a matchless voice is an object much sought by the 

 birdcatcher, and has led to the bird's extinction in 

 many places where it was formerly common. 



The Wood- Lark breeds early, and as it is a double- 

 brooded species the reproduction season may be 

 said to extend from March to June or July. We 

 are of the opinion that this Lark mates for life, for 

 each season pairs of birds will return to certain 

 spots to nest. The nest is almost invariably placed 

 upon the ground, sometimes on the barest turf, 

 but more generally well concealed under bushes or 

 tufts of coarse herbage. It is made externally of 

 dry grass and moss, and is lined with finer grass 

 and horse-hair. The eggs are four or five in 

 number, and are white tinged with buff or green 

 in ground-colour, spotted and dusted with reddish- 



