LARK-GLASS. 127 



I feel tempted to give you a brief description 

 of it. 



The soi-disant sportsman provides himself with 

 a certain implement called a lark-glass, which may 

 be fashioned in different ways, according to the 

 taste or whim of the fabricator. The following is 

 a rough sketch from a highly approved article of 

 this kind a regular syren in its way which had 

 lured many thousands to their doom. 



A piece of wood about a foot and a half long, 

 four inches deep, and three inches wide, is planed 

 off on two sides so as to resemble the roof of a 

 well-known toy yclept a Noah's ark, but more than 

 twice its usual length. In the sloping sides are 

 set several bits of looking-glass. An iron spindle, 

 the lower end of which is sharp and fixed in the 

 ground, passes freely through the centre ; on this 

 the instrument turns, and even spins rapidly when 

 a string has been attached and is pulled by the 

 performer, who generally stands at a distance of 

 fifteen or twenty yards from the decoy. The re- 

 flection of the sun's rays from these little revolving 

 mirrors seems to possess a mysterious attraction 

 for the larks, for they descend in great numbers 

 from a considerable height in the air, hover over 

 the spot, and suffer themselves to be shot at re- 

 peatedly without attempting to leave the field or to 

 continue their course. 



