The Sky-Lark 185 



be found incubated, but it is doubtful whether so small a number ever represents 

 a full clutch : in ground-colour they vary a good deal — white, whity-brown, huffish 

 clay-coloured, or pale olive-green ; generally densely mottled with olive or smok}' 

 grey-brown over the entire surface, but frequently with a denser zone at the larger, 

 and more rarely at the smaller end ; sometimes there are a few scattered streaks 

 and spots of deeper brown. The most aberrant egg whicli I have seen was one 

 lent to me for illustration in my "Handbook" (pi. XI, fig. 11), which bears a 

 curious resemblance to some eggs of the Common Bunting ; it is white with a 

 deep brown patch at the larger end, shading into sieuua and slightly macular 

 along its inferior margin. 



Although the Sky-Lark pairs in March, nidification does not commence until 

 late in April, nests being most numerous towards the end of ]\Iay ; two broods 

 are reared in the year, the second nest being furnished with eggs late in June or 

 early in Jul)'. Both male and female are very wary in approaching their nest, 

 never descending close to it, but at some distance, whence they may be seen 

 threading their way in the most irregular fashion in and out of the herbage 

 towards it. This is best seen where the nest is somewhat exposed on an open 

 pasture, the niothcr-l)ird wanders about apparently in the most aimless fashion, 

 but constantly approaching the nest until about a foot from it, when she makes 

 straight for it and settles down. By watching patiently through a glass one can 

 thus sometimes discover the nest. 



The Sky-Lark's soug is so much admired and so well-known that it is hardly 

 necessary to describe it ; it consists mainly of a shaking water-bubble trill, inter- 

 spersed with long drawn notes, and is marvellously exhilarating, considering how 

 little variety there is in it. The bird sings either soaring, or perched on a stump 

 or a thick branch. 



In the summer the food of the Sky-Lark consists of spiders, insects, their 

 larvae, and worms ; but in winter, and more especially during frosty weather, it 

 gets little else but seeds of grasses, plantain, etc. During the latter season this 

 species is very gregarious in its habits, and consequently immense numbers are 

 netted, the male birds iisually realizing from gd. to is. apiece, according to whether 

 they are disposed of to dealers or private persons ; the females, as already stated, 

 are generally killed for the table. 



In 1886, I made my first attempt at rearing Sky-Larks from the nest: I 

 obtained seven young birds about eight days old, and at first kept them in a 

 basket of hay ; but no sooner was this opened than these active little things 

 bounded out like grasshoppers, often clearing my shoulders and alighting on the 

 floor behind me. This I considered dangerous, and, therefore, bought a long "Lark- 



VoL. H. J-!3 



