BIRDS AND POETS 13 
- which the imagination loves, — one moment a plain 
pedestrian bird, hardly distinguishable from the 
ground, the next a soaring, untiring songster, rev- 
eling in the upper air, challenging the eye to follow 
him and the ear to separate his notes. 
The lark’s song is not especially melodious, but 
blithesome, sibilant, and unceasing. Its type is the 
grass, where the bird makes its home, abounding, 
multitudinous, the notes nearly all alike and all in 
the same key, but rapid, swarming, prodigal, show- 
ering down as thick and fast as drops of rain in a 
summer shower. 
Many noted poets have sung the praises of the 
lark, or been kindled by his example. Shelley’s 
ode and Wordsworth’s “To a Skylark” are well 
known to all readers of poetry, while every school- 
boy will recall Hogg’s poem, beginning : — 
“ Bird of the wilderness, 
Blithesome and cumberless, 
Sweet be thy matin o’er moorland and lea ! 
Emblem of happiness, 
Blest is thy dwelling-place — 
Oh to abide in the desert with thee !’’ 
I heard of an enthusiastic American who went 
about English fields hunting a lark with Shelley’s 
poem in his hand, thinking no doubt to use it as a 
kind of guide-book to the intricacies and harmo- 
nies of the song. He reported not having heard 
any larks, though I have little doubt they were 
soaring and singing about him all the time, though 
of course they did not sing to his ear the song that 
Shelley heard. The poets are the best natural his- 
