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THE YELLOW-HAMMER AND SKYLARK 



struction, called a " draw-net," over stubbles at night, and in sharp 

 weather by hair nooses attached to string and affixed to pegs over 

 a trail of small seeds or corn " tailings." 



The YELLOW-HAMMER. In proportion to its numbers the yellow 

 bunting takes toll of the cornfields, and is one of the many grain - 

 f ceding birds encouraged by " pheasant -feeds " in woods, and in- 

 creased in consequence of the destruction of hawks. Shooting, in 

 addition to the other means mentioned for the corn-bunting, is the 

 usual practice in keeping down yellow-hammers, especially when 

 on wing in rising from the ripening or ripe corn. 



The FIELD or SKYLARK. This bird is wholly supported by the 

 produce of the field lowland and upland pastures and meadows, 

 including rotation grasses or " seeds," with clovers and other 

 legumes, taking toll when opportunity offers of pilfering seed-corn 

 and sown-seed generally, while feeding largely upon the leafage of 

 the nitrogenous legumes. In return for this forage the lark pro- 

 bably compensates by the consumption of weed-seeds and weed- 

 herbage, along with decimation of insect pests feeding upon useful 

 crops. But the farmer, instead of requiting himself for the keep 

 of the larks, relegates the profit to bird-catchers lowland men 

 dragging a draw-net over the marshlands and fields, and hillmen, 

 setting horsehair nooses on downs, thus capturing the larks reared 



FIG. no. THE HORSEHAIR NOOSE. 



