14 SKY LARK. 







treasures, for whose delight perhaps he has been warbling all 

 the while his loudest and sweetest notes, and has kept them 

 all along in his sight, slanting at the end for a greater or 

 less distance, probably as danger may or may not appear to 

 be nigh, he drops with half-closed and unmoved wings and 

 is at home. 



'A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there, 



Which, search where you will, you'll ne'er meet with elsewhere.' 



This flight frequently occupies nearly ten minutes; sometimes, 

 it is said, as much as an hour, during which time both throat 

 and wings seem taxed to the utmost, but yet apparently 

 without fatigue of either, even though the loftiest regions of 

 the 'thin air' have been ascended to and traversed. 



In rising up, the Lark turns towards the wind, if any be 

 blowing; but this is only what might naturally be expected; 

 and in settling down, the tail is seen to be expanded. At 

 first rising, the flight is fluttering and irregular, then a few 

 reaches forward are made, upwards or in a slanting direction, 

 and then in curves, or parts of circles, the bird ascends, and 

 when at a high elevation wheels in circles, singing all the 

 while. In the winter season, when an upward soaring is 

 scarcely attempted, the flight is slightly undulated, performed 

 by a few flappings of the wings and then a further progress, 

 either in the way of a short hovering about or a wheeling 

 here and there, before the ground is again settled on, which 

 it is rather abruptly at the close. 



Their food consists of grain, grasses, and seeds, and also 

 of insects, caterpillars, snails, and worms; and they may often 

 be seen running into little pools of water, probably in search 

 of any insects that may happen to be there. In quest of 

 these they have also been seen running along the top of a 

 hedge. The Lark uses a quantity of sand and gravel with 

 its food. 



The note of the Sky Lark, so rich and clear, full and 

 varied, is universally appreciated, so that one may surely say 

 'where is the man with soul so dead,' who, when on some 

 clear bright day in early spring, when all nature is full of 

 hope, and in the blue sky above scarce a cloud is to be seen 

 he for the first time that year hears the well-known carol, 

 can help turning his eyes upwards to detect the songster, and 

 follow the happy bird, to trace, till he can no longer follow 

 it, save faintly with his ear, in its aerial ascent, step by step, 



