OUR BIRD ALLIES. 183 
CHAPTER XII. 
LARKS, WOODPECKERS, ETC. 
LArRKsS—The Skylark—Its food and general character—A hint 
to farmers—Song of the Lark—The bird in captivity— 
Larks for the table—Nest and eggs of the Skylark— 
WooDPECKERS—Unappreciated benefactors— Work of the 
Woodpeckers — Their wonderful structure —The Great 
Spotted Woodpecker—Its habits and doings—Distrust of 
man— Nest of the Woodpecker — Defective sanitary 
arrangements—The Cuckoo—Its valuable services—Life- 
history—Maternity by deputy—An interesting exhibit— 
Why is not the Cuckoo a nest-builder ? 
Tue Skylark stands in a somewhat strange position, 
the vast majority of mankind looking upon it with 
favour on account of the perfection of its song, and 
the remainder, consisting principally of the agricul- 
tural classes, treating it as a creature to be kept under 
by every possible means. 
In this, as is not unfrequently the case, the agri- 
cultural classes are wrong, for the mischief which the 
bird causes in some ways is counterbalanced by its 
services in others. Witness the details of its year’s 
food, as afforded us by Prévost-Paradol :— 
‘January, seeds of wild plants; February, seeds 
and corn; March, various insects, worms, seeds, and 
corn; April, insects, teetles, corn; May, beetles ; 
