116 THE LARK 



the latter end of autumn. Gnosneau dc Montbeliard thinks 

 that hirlvs sing so long only to sustain each other, and to per- 

 suade themselves that they are strong enough to keep birds 

 of prey at a distance. This explanation is very ingenious, 

 but it does not (piite satisfy me. Of course I am aware that 

 children and coNvards arc in the habit of singing ^Yhen 

 thcv aic crossing a wood at nightfall, to give themselves 

 courage, in spite of this, I have too great a faith in the in- 

 telligence of larks to believe them capable of making use 

 of such a childish proceeding. To sing as loud as one can, 

 even in company, does not appear to me to be a very prac- 

 tical means of diverting the attention of gerfalcons and 

 sparrow-hawks. I prefer believing that the open air and 

 the sunlight exhilarate the larks and thus develop their 

 musical powers exceedingly. Generally the male sings 

 loudest and best, so as to attract the attention of the 

 female; when he has discovered the one he was seeking, 

 he dashes down precipitously and pairs with her. 



As soon as courtship and pairing are over, the female 

 builds her nest between two clods of soil and lines it 

 inside with dry grasses. She lays four or five spotted eggs, 

 brown or gray, which she hatches hastily. As soon as 

 the young ones are feathered, they leave their nest and 

 roam about the fields under the lead of the mother, and 

 this promptness often misleads those who are hunting for 

 bird's nests. 



The readiness with which young larks leave their nest 



