54 



THE SKY-LARK. 



This beautiful warbler is spread all over Europe, 

 and has the most peculiar manner of flying of any 

 of the feathered tribe, his movement being invaria- 

 bly upwards in a perpendicular line ; after leaving 

 his grassy abode, beginning his melodious song, 

 which he continues unceasingly till nearly out of 

 sight, looking like a mere speck, towards the heav- 

 ens, — and even then you may hear his sweet voice 

 dying away as if in the clouds, — he descends in like 

 manner, still continuing to gratify his hearers below 

 with his own peculiar melody till within a short dis- 

 tance-from his nest ; then silently alighting, hiding 

 himself in the grass, fearing, as if by instinct, some 

 straggling wanderers were watching his movements, 

 to find out the spot to " rob a bird's-nest," when he 

 creeps along, quite unseen, to visit his home and 

 little family. He is the bird that Shakspeare fancied 

 went singing up into the very gates of heaven ; the 

 minstrel of the sky, who makes all the gold and sil- 

 ver pillars in cloud-land echo when he warbles in 

 his great star-roofed skyey hall. This is the bird 

 that sleeps beside the daisies, and among the gentle 

 Iambs : that makes a nest in any hole in the ground, 

 the print of a horse's or bullock's hoof serving as 

 well as any thing else in which to deposit the five 

 greenish-white brown spotted eggs. The sky-lark 

 will readily imitate the songs of other birds, and 

 also learn tunes, and in confinement sings during 

 half the year, and may be tamed so as to come and 

 eat from the hand. 



