i?6 BRITISH BIRDS. WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS 



Although the Sky-Lark pairs in March, nidification does not commence until 

 late in April, nests being most numerous towards the end of May; two broods 

 are reared in the year, the second nest being furnished with eggs late in June or 

 early in July. Both male and female are very wary in approaching their nest, 

 never descending close to it, but at some distance, whence they may be seen 

 threading their way in the most irregular fashion in and out of the herbage 

 towards it. This is best seen where the nest is somewhat exposed on an open 

 pasture, the mother bird wanders about apparently in the most aimless fashion, 

 but constantly approaching the nest until about a foot from it, when she makes 

 straight for it and settles down. By watching patiently through a glass one can 

 thus sometimes discover the nest. 



The Sky-Lark's song is so much admired and so well-known that it is hardly 

 necessary to describe it ; it consists mainly of a shaking water-bubble trill, inter- 

 spersed with long drawn notes, and is marvellously exhilarating, considering how 

 little variety there is in it. The bird sings either soaring, or perched on a stump 

 or a thick branch. 



In the summer the food of the Sky- Lark consists of spiders, insects, their 

 larvae, and worms ; but in winter, and more especially during frosty weather, it 

 gets little else but seeds of grasses, plantain, etc. During the latter season this 

 species is very gregarious in its habits, and consequently immense numbers are 

 netted, the male birds usually realizing from gd. to is. apiece, according to whether 

 they are disposed of to dealers or private persons ; the females, as already stated, 

 are generally killed for the table. 



In 1886, I made my first attempt at rearing Sky-Larks from the nest: I 

 obtained seven young birds about eight days old, and at first kept them in a 

 basket of hay ; but no sooner was this opened than these active little things 

 bounded out like grasshoppers, often clearing my shoulders and alighting on the 

 floor behind me. This I considered dangerous, and therefore bought a long ' Lark- 

 runner,' an elongated cage about two feet in length, by nine inches high, wired 

 in front only. In one corner I fixed a Sedge- Warbler's nest, put my birds in one 

 by one, keeping my hand over to prevent their jumping out until all were inside, 

 when I covered them with a warm flannel. When they began to get hungry off 

 went the blanket and the whole family tumbled out of bed and stood in a row in 

 front of the door shouting tee-u, tee-u, tee-u ; and after their meal they raced up 

 and down their cage until weary, and then tumbled back into bed and I covered 

 them up again. They seemed strong and sound, but one by one they got cramp 

 and died until I had lost them all. 



I subsequently purchased a young male and an old female and at first kept 



