SKYLARK. 621 



birds ; but whether this be the right explanation of the 

 matter or not, the fatal result of the fascination thereby 

 exercised upon them is undeniable. At this time they are 

 lean, but soon after, and even during moderate frost, they 

 are in good case, the cold possibly checking cutaneous 

 transpiration, and inducing a deposit of fat ; though should 

 long-continued and severe frost supervene, or snow cover the 

 ground, the condition of those that remain with us is soon 

 altered for the worse ; but even in the hardest of times a 

 few seem to pick up a living, albeit they may have to settle 

 in the streets of towns to find it, as, according to Gilbert 

 White, they did in the remarkable frost of January 1776.* 



* Dunstable was formerly famous for its Larks for the table. In England 

 these birds are commonly eaten after being simply roasted, but in France such 

 plain cookery is deemed insufficient. Pates de mauvietks (for which see M. 

 Jules GouiT^'s 'Livre de Patisserie', p. 76) hare been made at Pitbiviers for 

 over three hundred years, and though these, from their name, would seem to have 

 been originally composed of Thrushes, Larks have long been almo.st exclusively 

 used for the purpose. Nowadays the main stream of northern traffic having 

 been diverted from Dunstable, where Pennant a century since put the yearly 

 capture at 48,000, its fame rather rests on its straw- work than its Larks, and 

 perhaps Brighton enjoys the credit of consuming more Larks than any other 

 place in England except London. Dr. Wynter, in 1854, estimated those annually 

 entering the metropolitan markets alone at 400,000 — 20,000 or 30,000 being 

 often sent together, and the numbers eaten elsewhere in the country must be 

 enormous, quite as large indeed as abroad. The Editor has been obligingly in- 

 formed by Messrs. Baily and Son, the eminent poulterers of Mount Street, that 

 the bulk of those forwarded to London is worthless, and consequently the average 

 price cannot be put higher than Is. -id. the dozen, which however would produce 

 from Dr. Wynter's estimate more than £2,000 per annum. Mr. Gi'ay quotes an 

 official return of the authorities at Dieppe stating that, during the winter of 

 1867-68, 1,255,500 Larks were taken into that town, the value of which in 

 English money may be reckoned at £2,260. In the German towns Larks are or 

 were subject to duty which Latham, quoting Keysler, says used to produce at 

 Leipzig, where it was 2.|rf. on 60, above £900 a year, shewing that 5,184,000 

 were annually received in that city. Stupendous as is this number, it is rendered 

 more credible by Bechstein's statement that 404,304 Larks were brought thither 

 in one month of the year 1720, and Naumann says that the excise lists shew 

 that over 500,000 Larks were, when he wrote (1824), supplied to the same place 

 in the month of October. These are chiefly caught in Auhalt or near Halle, 

 Merseburg and other open parts of Saxony, while even more were sent to Berlin, 

 Hamburg and elsewhere than to Leipzig, besides those that were consiimed in 

 the small towns of the district. The Editor is informed by Dr. Baldamus that 

 chiefly through his eflforts this traffic has almost ceased within the last few years. 



