166 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



of the town ; many were caught by hand or knocked 

 over by sticks and stones, but along the " Marina," 

 or marine promenade, a constant discharge of small- 

 arms was kept up from daylight to dark during the 

 few days of our stay. 



The Sky-Lark is much given to dusting itself, but, 

 contrary to the habits of most birds which indulge in 

 that luxury, is also fond of bathing. This bird, as is 

 well known, will live and sing for many years in 

 captivity if properly cared for, and has been even 

 known to breed in confinement. 



The Sky-Lark affords very good sport to the falconer, 

 the Merlin being the bird selected for this pursuit ; 

 but the best trained of these little Falcons rarely 

 manage to take an adult Lark in full feather, though 

 they will easily master young or moulting birds in 

 August and the early part of September. I have 

 alluded, when treating of the Hobby, to the ancient 

 manner of taking Larks with the aid of that species. 

 Curious stories are related of the removal by Sky- 

 Larks of their eggs and young from exposed and 

 dangerous sites, or when their nests have been inter- 

 fered with, and Yarrell quotes an instance in which 

 the parent birds built a dome of grass over a nest 

 containing young, which had been laid bare by the 

 scythe. The principal food of the Sky-Lark appears 

 to be seeds of various kinds, varied with small worms 

 and insects, and in the winter it is fond of young corn, 

 turnip-tops, and, in fact, almost any green food that 

 it can find. 



