106 THE SKYLARK. 



for earth he has left his music in the skies : 

 again and again does the lark spring from his 

 lowly resting-place, and soar into the clouds, 

 renewing every time all his wondrous harmony. 

 His matin song is heard in the early morning 

 hour, and again he has pleasant vespers for the 

 calm decline of day. He is heard too in the 

 morning of the year, and his song cheers us 

 almost to its conclusion : he begins so early as 

 the middle of January, and sings on till Novem- 

 ber.* If he emigrates, it must be for a very 

 short period. Perhaps the fact may be that with 

 this, as well as with some other birds, emigra- 

 tion is only partial, and many individuals remain 

 in this country through the winter ; it is proba- 

 bly from these residents that we hear the late 

 and early songs, rather than from the emigra- 

 tors. That some do emigrate, is proved by the 

 circumstance of their having been met at sea, cross- 

 ing the Mediterranean; repeated instances have 

 occurred of their dropping on the decks of ships, 

 exhausted by their flight. In their passage from 

 this country, they are said first to pause and re- 

 pose themselves in Malta, and other eastern 

 islands of the Mediterranean. They afterwards 



* For remarks on the notes of this and some other of our 

 song birds, see additional notices at the end of the book. 



