270 BRITISH BIRDS. 
upon before quitting the nest. In returning to the nest both birds usually 
drop into the herbage some little distance from it, and run through the 
grass the remainder of the distance. During the whole period of incuba- 
tion the male bird is incessantly soaring upwards to warble his song, from 
the first streak of morning till dusk. 
The Sky-Lark’s song is usually hushed in the moulting-season ; and after 
the young are safely reared the gregarious habits are assumed for the 
winter, the flocks of birds being sometimes very large. The food of the 
Sky-Lark in summer consists principally of imsects, small grubs, and 
worms ; but in winter seeds of various kinds, berries, and grain are almost 
its only fare. Many of the seeds upon which it feeds are those of the most 
troublesome weeds; and there can be no doubt that the bird is of great 
service to the agriculturist. In autumn a favourite haunt of the Sky-Lark 
is on the stubbles which have been sown with clover—“ seeds,” as they are 
technically called by the farmer, As the observer wanders over such a 
locality the birds will repeatedly rise at his feet, and uttering their liquid 
note, join into a straggling flock, and after wheeling about for some time 
again alight. They do not all rise together like Starlings, but one or two 
at a time, and invariably alight in the same manner. When once the Sky- 
Lark has taken up its quarters in a field of this description in autumn, it 
rarely quits it until the following spring, except in the event of a severe 
fall of snow. Even then the birds return to their old quarters at the first 
signs of a thaw, when the plants on whose seeds they feed are again ex- 
posed. In winter Sky-Larks are often very irregular in their movements, 
which are to a great extent affected by snow-storms. When once a district 
is covered with snow the Sky-Larks usually leave it and retire to other 
places where the ground is still bare. They never appear to wander further 
than they are absolutely compelled, and invariably settle on the first bare 
ground that is suitable to them. In this manner the birds often foretell a 
coming storm, as they are driven before it to more congenial haunts. The 
Sky-Lark seems very much attached to its winter haunts, and no matter 
how much it is disturbed will seldom quit them except when compelled 
by hard weather. As they roost upon the ground great numbers are 
netted at night, their flesh being prized as a table delicacy. Other seed- 
eating birds often congregate with Sky-Larks in winter, such as Buntings, 
Linnets, and Redpoles ; but the present species is the only Lark which con- 
gregates in such enormous numbers ; it is by far the most gregarious of 
its kind. 
As might naturally be expected, the migrations of this bird can be admir- 
ably studied on Heligoland. During the migration period of the Sky- 
Lark, as many as 15,000 have been caught on this island in a single night ; 
and this must of necessity be but a trifling percentage of the number which 
passed. When in Heligoland in 1876, 1 shot on the 11th of October three 
