240 



SKYLARK. 



movement southward takes place, few, if any, remaining on the 

 northern side of the Baltic ; and on Heligoland as many as 15,000 

 have been caught in a single night, while immense numbers are 

 taken both on passage and in winter in the south of Europe. The 

 Skylark also visits Northern Africa, where a few breed on the slopes 

 of the Atlas ; its wanderings sometimes extending to Madeira. It is 

 even said to have strayed to Greenland, but Reinhardt has expressly 

 denied any knowledge of such an occurrence. It is well known to 

 have been introduced to the United States, and on June 12th 1850, 

 an example was shot at Hamilton, Bermudas. Its importation to 

 Australia and New Zealand is notorious. 



The nest, often commenced in the first half of April, and placed 

 on the ground in a hollow among growing crops, or under the 

 shelter of some tuft, clod of earth &c., is made of dry grass 

 with a finer lining of the same. The eggs, 3-5 in number, are dull 

 grey, thickly mottled and often zoned with olive-brown : average 

 measurements "92 by '68 in. Incubation lasts fifteen days, and two 

 broods are generally produced in the season. The food consists of 

 insects and worms, with a considerable quantity of seeds of various 

 kinds during the colder portion of the year, and a certain amount 

 of grit to aid digestion. Every one must be familiar with the rap- 

 turous trill of the Skylark, as, rising from the ground, it soars, still 

 singing, until almost lost to sight ; but it sometimes utters its song 

 while on the ground, and, exceptionally, I have seen a bird— unmis- 

 takably of this species and not a Tree-Pipit — giving forth its joyous 

 carol while swaying in the wind on the topmost branch of a tree 

 some twenty feet in height. Like other members of the family, the 

 Skylark is fond of dusting itself to get rid of insect parasites ; and, 

 contrary to the custom of the Pipits, it does not bathe in water. 



The adult in spring has the general plumage of the upper parts 

 warm yellowish-brown, streaked with dark brown, especially on the 

 crown and back ; over the eye a buffish-white streak ; quills dark 

 brown, with buff outer margins and greyish-white tips ; tail-feathers 

 with dark brown centres and tawny edges, except the outer pair, 

 which are chiefly white, and the second pair which have white outer 

 webs ; under parts bufifish-white, distinctly spotted and streaked with 

 dark brown on the throat, breast and flanks ; bill dark brown above, 

 paler below ; legs yellowish-brown. The dimensions vary greatly : 

 average length 7 in.; wing 4*25 in. The sexes are alike in plumage. 

 In the young bird the feathers are broadly tipped with buff"; while 

 in autumn both young and old have a tawny tint. 



