THE WOOD LARK 



with most small birds breeding on the ground, the Wood 

 Lark is a close sitter and rarely leaves the nest until almost 

 trod upon. In some cases two broods are reared in the year, 

 the young being abandoned as soon as they are able to fly 

 and forage for themselves. 



At the approach of autumn's mellow days, when the 

 woods begin to glow with those bewitching tints of decay 

 that are even fairer than the delicate greens of spring, the 

 Wood Lark's habits change. It then begins to collect in 

 flocks, which wander about a good deal in search of food, but 

 it never unites in such enormous gatherings as the Sky 

 Lark. A few Wood Larks often join a party of Sky Larks 

 in the winter months, from which they are easily separated 

 by their proneness to alight on the nearest trees when the 

 flock is disturbed. When flushed from the pastures which 

 they often frequent at this season, the birds rise one by one 

 or in twos and threes, uttering their liquid musical double- 

 note, some to take refuge in the tall trees, others to fly a little 

 distance just above the ground and alight again. 



By the way, in spite of what the greatest living compiler 

 of natural-history books may state to the contrary, and who 

 so recently as the spring of the present year gravely tells us 

 that the Sky Lark " is incapable of perching on branches," 

 that bird does sometimes alight in trees ; and there is 

 nothing in the anatomy of its feet to prevent it indulging in 

 such a practice. Notwithstanding all our progress, the school- 

 master, though very much abroad, has still a great deal to 

 accomplish. I have heard the Wood Lark warble on the 

 ground in winter, and its regular song commences in mild 

 forward seasons as early as February, when the flocks begin 

 to disperse. 



