176 Our Bird Friends. 



in the evening on the 7 th of May, and at the 

 time the weather was very fine and perfectly calm. 

 The longest sonof record obtained durino- the first 

 fortnight in July Avas two minutes and forty-five 

 seconds. 



During the prevalence of breezy weather Larks 

 mount the air by soaring head to wind. l)ut when 

 it is calm they are obliged to ascend in circles, 

 and these are often not described in the same 

 direction even on a single upward journey. Some 

 people think that a wild Skylark only sings in the 

 blue vault of heaven. This is by no means the 

 case, as some mcmlx'rs of the species prufer 

 to pour fortli their music wliilst seated on the 

 ground. One such hves on tlie side of a hill at 

 the hack of my house, and he enjoys the elevation 

 af[|)rded by a surveyor's peg, from which coign of 

 vantage he habitually sings, regardless of the fact 

 that I watch hiui frequently through my field 

 glasses. 



Then there are other birds that indulge in sing- 

 ing whilst upon the wing, although they are popularly 

 supposed to perform only upon such platforms as are 

 afforded by tree top, bush, or rock. These are the 

 Missel Thrush, l^lackbird. Song Thrush, Nightingale, 

 Common Wren, Whitethroat, and Garden Warbler. 

 Other species that commonly sing whil(> they fly 

 are the Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Tree Pi[)it, Swallow, 

 and Ouckoo. 



A very strange thing al>out some species is that 



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