Larks. 97 



at either end just above the sand : this bird lived in perfect 

 health to a good age. 



Larks roost at night upon the ground, so that whether in 

 cage or aviary they should not be subjected to possible attacks by 

 either rats or old buck mice (the latter are often equall}' danger- 

 ous). Rat or mouse-virus, when it can be obtained in good 

 condition, is most effective ; but I am afraid, now that it has 

 made a name for itself, it is by no means so satisfactory as when 

 first placed upon the market: in 191 1 I sent for two tubes of 

 mouse virus aud a phial of Rattine and although I carefully 

 prepared them according to instructions, not a mouse was 

 destroyed by any of them : in 19 10 one lube of mouse- virus 

 cleared off every mouse on my premises. 



Unlike most birds, L,arks appear to sing instinctively : 

 that is to say, instead of learning from their parents, the wild 

 song appears to be hereditary. I have taken Skylarks from the 

 nest when six days old and hand-reared them, and one of these, 

 though a hen, sang the well-known song of its species ; others 

 taken when fairly well feathered not only produced their own 

 natural song, but introduced into the performance parts of the 

 songs of other birds in my possession. 



My first attempts at handrearing Larks were not successful, 

 the whole of them having died from cramp, although kept warm 

 in a basket of hay and covered with flannel at night. Considering 

 that in their wild state birds would be crouching together in a 

 nest placed in a hollow or depression in the earth, I concluded 

 that moist warmth to the legs was necessary in their infant 

 stage ; I therefore cut a hole in a thick turf and inserted therein 

 a Whitethroat's nest, in which I placed my nestling Larks, 

 covering them with a piece of flannel to represent the mother- 

 bird : from that time forward I had no further difficulty in rearing 

 Skylarks. 



I have had no experience in breeding Larks, and for that 

 reason I should have been better pleased if our friend, Mr. 

 Reginald Phillipps, would have consented to undertake this 

 article. I should imagine that, at first, these birds would require 

 a considerable amount of living insect-food for their young; a 

 point upon which, I think, Mr. Phillipps, does not speak defin- 



