116 FIELD-STUDIES OF RARER BIRDS 



Full clutches of eggs may be found by March 

 15th, or, exceptionally, earlier, but the best 

 average date for a fresh, complete 'set' lies 

 between March 25th and April 1st, though some 

 pairs are habitually later. Second clutches must 

 be sought during the latter half of May, though 

 I have known them in the first week of that 

 month, whilst eggs third broods are not uncom- 

 mon at the end of June and throughout July. 

 Once, indeed, I saw young in the nest as late as 

 August 21st. 



Unless dropped upon accidentally, the home of 

 the Wood-Lark, even though the haunt is known 

 and a familiar one, is often hard to find, since, 

 like several other small, ground-breeding species, 

 the bird is prone to sit lightly, running off its eggs 

 in elusive fashion wlrile an intruder is yet as much 

 as seventy yards distant, especially if he approaches 

 from down hill : then let the latter find the nest, 

 if he can. That means assiduous searching, and 

 more especially when the bird- has not been seen 

 running in the first instance. For the Wood-Lark, 

 although tame enough to the extent of allowing 

 a near approach, is very wary at the nest, and, 

 equally chary about visiting it even though but 

 half-completed while a human being lingers in 

 its neighbourhood. If there are young in the 

 nest, however, things are different : then, five or 

 ten minutes' patient watching generally suffices 

 for the revealing of the secret. Nevertheless, some 



