242 WILD LIFE OF SCOTLAND 



Darwin. " The male is in a condition of excessive 

 vitality at that time, and gives vent to his high 

 spirits in song, just as happy, and healthy human 

 beings are in the habit of doing," says Wallace. 



The theories seem to be complementary, rather 

 than contradictory ; and, on either supposition, we 

 scarcely, look for song in autumn, when the birds 

 are probably moulting, and in indifferent condition ; 

 or in winter, when they are under-fed, and often 

 find it hard enough to exist at all. 



The passionate strains of the lark may well be 

 addressed to his patient partner among the bents. 

 But his health must be of the most exuberant 

 description to give him strength enough to throw 

 away on so many visits to the clouds. It is hard 

 to imagine a lark that has sat out all night in 

 several degrees of frost, and then gone without 

 his breakfast, besieging heaven's gate with jubilant 

 melody. True, he was singing when I crossed the 

 links yesterday, but only a mere fragment of his 

 song, delivered from the ground, or at most from a 

 few yards in the air. 



Last December, I left the song-thrush silent in 

 our Scottish wood copses, and found him in full 

 song in the Isle of Wight. This would seem to 

 admit of only the one explanation, that the starva- 



