26o ENGLISH BIRD LIFE 



many questions. Animals appear to derive no 

 pleasure from the fragrance of flowers, nor are they 

 repelled by odours offensive to us. Yet this cannot 

 arise from a lack of power to distinguisli. It would 

 appear that in their wider experience, these things 

 are not always what they seem. The creatures of 

 the field must be susceptible of a variety of influ- 

 ences from which we are debarred from sheer lack 

 of capacity to recognize them. 



So the Lark wings its way across the mowing- 

 grass, and its power of correct observation is so true 

 that every stem rising higher than its fellows pro- 

 vides it with a certain guide-post. Now it checks 

 its flight, hovers for a moment and drops close to 

 the nest where the voung ones are eagerlv awaiting 

 it. Let the eye be withdrawn for a moment and in 

 the uniformity of the field it is well-nigh impos- 

 sible to mark again the spot where it disappeared. 



The Skylark's manner of singing is well known. 

 It rises from the meadow in easy spirals, singing 

 almost from the ground, and with quivering wings, 

 slowly ascends, the circles growing wider and 

 wider, until it is often literally lost in the upper 

 distance, and the notes, now faint, appear to be 

 shaken down from the void of the sky. In a little 

 while, still singing, the tiny speck falls into sight 

 again and the warbling is continued, until at 

 length the bird abruptly drops into the grass. 



The song of the Skylark has been the theme of 

 endless eulogy both in verse and prose, although 

 certain critics regard it as more remarkable for 

 variety and power than for quality of tone. But, 



