THE SKYLAEK. 181 



by acres, and the roof of its little cage were the vault 

 of heaven. The following stanza in French is equally 

 successful in imitating the song of the Skylark and de- 

 scribing its evolutions : 



La gentille Alouette avec son tirelire, 

 Tirelire, retire et tirelirant, tire 

 Vers la voute du ciel ; puis son vol en ce lieu 

 Vire, et semble nous dire : Adieu, adieu, adieu. 



The Lark builds its nest in a hollow in the ground, the 

 rut of a cart-wheel, the depression formed by a horse's 

 hoof, or in a hole which it scrapes out for itself. The nest 

 is composed of dry grass, and lined with finer fibres. 

 It lays four or five eggs, and rears two broods- in the 

 year. It displays great attachment to its young, and has 

 been known, when disturbed by mowers, to build a dome 

 over its nest, as a substitute for the natural shelter afforded 

 by the grass while standing, and to remove its young in 

 its claws to another place of concealment. In a cage, 

 the male even is an excellent nurse. Mr. Weir men- 

 tions one which brought up several broods entrusted 

 to its care, and a similar instance has fallen under my 

 own notice. Larks frequently become the prey of the 

 Hobby and Merlin, which pounce on them as they are 

 on the point of leaving the ground, and bear them off 

 with as much ease as they would a feather. But if an 

 intended victim discovers its oppressor in time, it instantly 

 begins to ascend with a rapidity which the other cannot 

 follow, carried on as it is by the impetus of its horizontal 

 flight. The Hawk, foiled for this time, renews the chase 

 and endeavours to soar above its quarry; if it succeeds, 

 it makes a second swoop, sometimes with deadly effect ; 

 but if it fails a second time, the Lark folds its wings, 

 drops like lead to the ground, and, crouching among the 

 herbage, often escapes detection. 



