THE BIRD-LIFE OF LONDON 
The “Sky ” Lark, notwithstanding its trivial name, 
spends most of its time upon the ground, where it is very 
active, both running and walking, although it never seems 
tohop. It loves to frequent the bare, open fields, hay- 
meadows, growing grain until the ears have burst, stubbles, 
and weedy pastures. During the autumn and winter it 
chiefly lives in flocks, and at these seasons it is exceptional 
for the males to indulge in soaring flights or in song. 
The Skylark resumes his song with the very first days of 
spring, and continues in voice from then onwards to the 
moulting season. ‘The loud, glad carol of this bird needs 
no description here. It is one of the most familiar 
sounds of the countryside, filling the sky often when the 
tiny brown singer is almost lost in the spacious heights 
above. During the mating season the male often soars 
for a little way above the female, singing loudly ; and 
sometimes he may be observed to warble whilst standing 
on some clod of earth, or even running along the ground. 
The food of this Lark consists of worms, grubs, small seeds, 
and grain, with an occasional insect. ‘The Skylark is an 
early breeder, eggs for the first brood being laid in April, 
for the second as late even as July. ‘The nest is always 
made upon the ground, and the favourite situation in the 
London area is amongst the meadow-grass or growing 
crops, but occasionally in the coarser vegetation and 
heather of the commons. It is placed in a shallow 
depression, and made outwardly of dry grass, twitch, and 
bits of moss, and lined with finer grass, roots, and horse- 
hair. ‘The four or five eggs are greyish white, or olive- 
white mottled and freckled with olive-brown and grey. 
Like all ground-building birds, the hen is a close sitter, 
and usually remains brooding on the nest until almost 
under the feet of the passer-by. In autumn the various 
broods unite into flocks for the winter. 
The adult Skylark is brown above, the feathers having 
darker centres ; the under parts are buffish white, most 
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