PERCHING BIRDS, 173 



lost from our sight; yet so powerful his voice, 

 that its wild ecstatic strain, filling the air with 

 glad melody, is heard distinctly when the strained 

 eye can follow its course no longer. Poised aloft, 

 he continues to pour forth his thrilling music in 

 rapturous gushes ; till again descending, he gradu- 

 ally suppresses his song, and abruptly closes it on 

 reaching the ground. There is, perhaps, no sound 

 in all nature's chorus so expressive of joy as this 

 song. " Pretty bird ! (thus does one of our admir- 

 able old divines apostrophize it) singing most 

 sweetly and never ceasing his pleasant ditty while 

 he hovereth aloft, as if he were there gazing into 

 the glory of the sun ; but is suddenly silenced 

 when he falleth to the earth. So is the frame of 

 the soul most delectable and divine while it 

 keepeth in the view of God by contemplation ; 

 but, alas! we make there too short a stay, and 

 down again we fall, and lay by our music." 



Larks generally rest upon the ground, owing to 

 the peculiar construction of their hind claws, 

 which are very long and straight. They also 

 build their nests on the ground, which exposes 

 them to many dangers ; but as they are exceed- 

 ingly prolific their numbers are very great. The 

 strong attachment of the parent birds for their 

 young is well-known. ; they will scarcely leave the 

 nest to avoid the mower's scythe, and after the 



