XIV THE EMIGRANTS 201 



flight, anxious for a close inspection of the bright 

 thing or the odd bird. There it is, some fifteen 

 paces away — its feet hanging, its wings outspread 

 Hke a saint-esprit. The moment has come ; aim 

 and fire. I hope that my readers may experience 

 the emotions of this delightful sport. 



With the lark, and often in the same flocks, 

 comes the titlark — the sisi — another word giving 

 the bird's little call. None rushes more vehemently 

 upon the owl, round and round which it circles and 

 hovers incessantly. This may suffice as a review of 

 the birds which visit us. Most of them make it only 

 a halting-place, staying for a few weeks, attracted by 

 the abundance of food, especially of insects ; then, 

 strengthened and plump, off they go. A few take 

 up winter quarters in our plains, where snow is very 

 rare, and there are countless little seeds to be picked 

 up even in the heart of the cold season. The lark 

 which searches wheat fields and fallows is one ; 

 another is the titlark, which prefers fields of luzern 

 and meadows. 



The skylark, so common in almost every part of 

 France, does not nest in the plains of Vaucluse, 

 where it is replaced by the crested lark — friend 

 of the highway and of the road-mender. But it is 

 not necessary to go far north to find the favourite 

 places for its broods ; the next department, the 

 Drome, is rich in its nests. Very probably, there- 

 fore, among the flocks of larks which take possession 

 of our plains for all autumn and winter many come 

 from no farther than the Drome. They need only 

 migrate into the next department to find plains that 

 know not snow, and a certainty of little seeds. 



