146 PET BIRDS OF BENGAL 



seems rather to be thrown upwards than to 

 fly, and as it flings itself up perpendicularly 

 into the air, its resemblance with the light 

 swinojinoj motion of a shuttle-cock is for- 

 ced on the mind. Its return earthwards 

 is as rapid as its volley upwards and, 

 unlike the Bush-Larks, it comes down 

 to the o;round after each "song^-filled fliofht." 

 While carolling up and down between the 

 earth and sky, it is fully alive to the 

 problems of hunger, but the search for 

 food seems to take up little of its time. 



Its long, pointed crest imparts to it 

 a o'race lackino- in the other Larks. But 

 its greatest attraction is its song, which 

 ranks it as a song-bird. Its call notes are 

 sweet and melodious, 'not unlike the 

 (English) Wood-Larks' but less flute-like 

 and broken into short phrases'. The song 

 is uttered both on winoj and from oround. 

 Besides its ordinary song, which is not 

 more remarkable than other Larks', it 

 possesses an unrivalled gift of mimicry. 

 *'Its song" as observed by an aviculturist, 



