THE LARK 115 



they twinkled in a ray of sunshine and I lost sight of 

 them in the heights ot the blue heavens. 



1 could no longer distinguish them, hut their strain, 

 with its merry, crystalline notes was still resounding in the 

 air. You would have thought that the blue space above 

 had suddenly become melodious and was singing ihat 

 lovely song. Now and then a lark would drop down from 

 the heights of the clouds, straight as a plumb-line ; within 

 one foot from the soil, it would make a winding so as to 

 crouch in some furrow. Another lark would then soar 

 upwards twittering, and all along, from the gray plain to 

 the luminous sky above, there was a constant forward and 

 backward motion of sonorous voices and fluttering wings. 



Never had a bird's song given me a fresher and a more 

 delicious sensation than this charming serenade at dawn, 

 and ever since that delightful morning in the woods, I 

 began to love larks. 



These birds are untiring musicians. Other birds sing 

 but two months in the year in spring; but larks never 

 tire of charming the aerial spaces. From early April to 

 October they never cease their joyous strain. On the ground 

 they are mute, but as soon as they begin to wing their 

 flight upwards, they become melodious. The higher they 

 soar, the more strength their voice acquires. They seem to 

 be animated and inspired by liglit. It is not only love that 

 develops their voice, as it is with other singing birds; they 

 continue their song long aflci' the broods are halchcd, till 



