82 THE RIVER-SIDE NATURALIST. 



gives the following lines to illustrate successfully the sky- 

 lark's note 



" La gentille alouette avec son tirelire, 

 Tirelire, relire et tirelirant, tire 

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

 Vire, et semble nous dire. Adieu, adieu, adieu ! " 



and in noticing the difference in the song of this bird 

 whilst on the ascent and descent, says : " A close ob- 

 server of its habits has said, with reference to this, that 

 1 the notes in the former case are of a gushing impatience, 

 hurried out, as it were, from an excessive overflow of 

 melody, which becomes gradually modulated, until the bird 

 attains an elevation, when, as if satisfied with its efforts, 

 it sinks gradually towards the earth with a sadder and 

 more subdued strain.' " Dante has noticed this variation 

 in his Divina Commedia : 



" Like the lark, 



That, warbling in the air, expatiates long, 

 Then, thrilling out her last sweet melody, 

 Drops, satiate with the sweetness." 



There is scarcely a British poet, from the earliest to 

 the latest times, who has not sung the praises of the sky- 

 lark ; and, as Professor Newton truly says, a volume 

 might be filled with extracts describing or alluding to its 

 marvellous power of song. All lovers of nature should 

 remember Bloomfield's beautiful lines in his " Farmer's 

 Boy." But a still more beautiful allusion to this bird, 

 not so well known, was written by the Rev. Hart 

 Milman on an incident he saw whilst reading the burial- 

 service over Mrs. Lockhart, the daughter of Sir Walter 

 Scott : 



" Over that solemn pageant mute and dark, 

 Where in the grave we laid to rest 

 Heaven's latest, not least welcome guest, 

 What didst thou on the wing, thou jocund lark, 

 Hovering in unrebuked glee 

 And carolling above that mournful company'? 



