294 THE USEFUL BIRDS 



THE SKYLARK, 



41aiida arveusis, Linn. 



Although the European Skylark is not a native of our 

 Commonwealth it has " come to stay," and we extend to it 

 the rich spirit of friendship. Boy of the destructive tendency, 

 beware ! Still our country has its own Skylarks along the line 

 of first cousinship. There are three species of them. The 

 "Corn- bird," singing above the fields in the noon of night, 

 sends forth a strain of music so rich that the sick in the mid- 

 night hour exclaim " Where ? " and " What ? " One has 

 already said to the present scribe, "Why, that is the song of 

 the bird that sings at heaven's gate ! " Then we have the 

 great Brown Song-Lark, and a go-between, the Rufous 

 Song-Lark. All are fine vocalists, but none surpass this 

 bird, the introduced species, the bird that inspired the 

 poet to write : — 



" Higher still and higher 



From the earth thou springest, 

 Like a cloud of fii'e 



The deep blue thou wingest. 



And singing still dost soar, and soaring ever singest." 



Is it any wonder the muse of such a bird leads oft to Nature 

 and a study of her 1 The introduced bird is brownish, 7 inches 

 in length, with a long hind toe, and confined to open 

 fields. According to Mr. Le Souef, of the Melbourne Zoological 

 Gardens, a small lot was first let loose in 1863 ; 80 in 1867 ; 

 30 in 1870 and 1872, as well as some near Sydney ; and 100 

 in 1873-74. Of the last-mentioned the majority succumbed 

 to a period of intensely cold weather immediately following 

 their sea voyage. It is not yet well distributed over Australia, 

 being slow to break new ground even when well planted in a 



