THE SKY- LARK'S FLIGHT . 115 



is sitting. Leaving the ground near her nest, he 

 rises in a spiral, ever getting higher and higher 

 until quite out of sight, but still his love-song is 

 continued, and in a few minutes, or it may be 

 longer sometimes he remains in the air over half 

 an hour he will be seen descending with out- 

 stretched wings and spread-out tail, still singing ; 

 then slowly coming down until, about sixty feet 

 from the ground, he closes his wings, drops like a 

 stone, until almost touching the earth, when, his 

 wings are again opened, and skimming along over 

 the meadow grass he will join his mate at the 

 nest. It will be noticed that when he first rose 

 it was from the nest ; when descending, he settles 

 about one hundred yards from it, and if danger 

 is threatened, he will unconcernedly feed to divert 

 attention. 



It is pathetic to hear, as I have done, how this 

 bird, which makes the countryside so enjoyable, 

 will suddenly stop in the midst of its beautiful 

 song when its nest far below is being robbed of 

 its eggs. I was once a witness of this pheno- 

 menon, and felt sad as well as indignant 



