150 



HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



come more domestic, and often to claim pro- 

 tection from man. Most of the soft-billed 

 birds, the nightingale, the swallow, and the tit- 

 mouse, leave us in the winter, when their insect 

 food is no longer offered in plenty ; but the red- 

 breast continues with us the year round, and 

 endeavours to support the famine of winter by 

 chirping round the warm habitations of man. 

 kind ; by coming into those shelters where 

 the rigour of the season is artificially expelled, 

 and where insects themselves are found in 

 greater numbers, attracted by the same cause. 



This bird breeds differently in different 

 places : in some countries its nest is usually 

 ibund in the crevice of some mossy bank, or 

 at the foot of a hawthorn in hedge rows ; in 

 others it chooses the thickest coverts, and hides 

 its nest with oak leaves. The eggs are from 

 four to five, of a dull white, with reddish 

 streaks. 



The Lark, whether the sky-lark, the wood, 

 or the tit-lark,' being all distinguishable from 



many, Thomas Gierdet ; with us, Robin Red-breast and 

 R uddock. Rennie. 



1 The song of the Lark is cheerful, and imparts a gaiety 

 to the mind of even the most serious. His joyous matins 

 arid heavenward flight have been aptly compared to 

 hymns and acts of adoration and praise. No bird sings 

 with more method: there is an overture performed vivace 

 crescendo, while the singer ascends ; when at the full 

 height, the song becomes moderate, and distinctly divided 

 into short passages, each repeated three or four times over, 

 like & fantasia, in the same key and time. If there be 

 any wind, lie rises perpendicularly by bounds, and after- 

 wards poises himself with breast opposed to it. If calm, 

 he ascends in spiral circles ; in horizontal circles during 

 the principal part of his song, and zigzagly downwards 

 during the performance of i\\ejinale. Sometimes, after 

 descending about half way, he ceases to sing, and drops 

 with the velocity of an arrow to the ground. Those ac- 

 quainted with the song of the sky-lark can tell without 

 looking at them whether the birds be ascending or station- 

 ary in the air, or on their descent ; so different is the 

 style of the song in each case. In the first, there is an 

 expression of ardent impatience ; in the second, an an- 

 dante composure, in which rests of a bar at a time fre- 

 quently occur ; and, in the last, a graduated sinking of 

 the strains, often touching the subdominant before the 

 final close. The time and number of the notes often 

 correspond with the vibrations of the wings ; and though 

 they sometimes sing while on the ground, as they are 

 seen to do in cages, their whole frame seems to be agi- 

 tated by their musical efforts. 



The Crested-Lark (so called from the tuft on its head) 

 is pretty well spread throughout Europe, from Russia to 

 Greece. It seems very doubtful, whether it is ever 

 found in this country. It neither flies in flocks like the 

 common lark, nor rises so high ; and it continues in 

 flight a longer time without alighting. It is by no means 

 wild, noi- does it dread the appearance of man, but com- 

 mences to sing at his approach. The males sing infin- 

 itely better than the females, and their voice is very 

 sweet and agreeable. During fine weather there is no 

 cessation to their strains ; but they become silent' w-hen 

 the sky is overcast, and rain descends ; they forget their 

 gaiety and their music until the re-appearance of a bril- 

 liant sun re-animates their vivacity. They usually sing 

 until the month of September. In captivity they also 

 bing, and retain more readily the airs which are taught 



other little birds by the length of tneir heel, 

 are louder in their song than either of the 

 former, but not so pleasing. Indeed the music 

 of every bird in captivity produces no very 



them from the bird-organ, than almost any other bird. 

 But they seldom survive the loss of their liberty, and it 

 requires much care and difficulty to preserve them any 

 time in cages. The female places her nest on the 

 ground, like the common species. She lays twice a year, 

 about four or five eggs of a clear ash-colour, thick set 

 with brown and blackish spots. 



The Wood-Lurk is smaller than the crested-lark, and 



its tuft can hardly be considered as a genuine one, being 

 only a little greater elongation of the feathers of the head 

 than in the common lark. The male is more frequently 

 observed to elevate these than this female. This lark is 

 found in Germany, France, Holland, Siberia, Poland, 

 and Italy. When these birds perch they sing agreeably. 

 They are heard to warble in great numbers together, in 

 the commencement of spring ; but when these assem- 

 blages disperse in amorous couples, the male then dis- 

 plays all his vocal powers, and produces very melodious 

 sounds, especially after sunset. In many respects, both 

 of hiibit and appearance, these birds differ from the sky- 

 lark. They perch as well in trees as on the ground ; 

 but this they do only on the largest branches, where they 

 are able to secure their hold with positively embracing 

 the stems with their toes. The sky-lark forms its nest 

 amongst grass or corn ; and the wood lark usually at the 

 foot of a bush, near the bottom of a hedge, or it lays where 

 thegrass is rank and dry. The fabric is of loose texture, 

 and constructed of withered herbs and fibrous roots, with 

 a few horse hairs in the inside. 



The Short-toed Lark is met with in the Canaries, in 

 the southern provinces of France, and especially in 

 Champagne, where the species is remarkably numerous. 

 This lark can run with the rapidity of a field mouse, 

 especially when disturbed, and on the point of taking to 

 flight. All the larks are pulverating birds ; but this 

 one is so particularly attached to powdering itself with 

 dust, that, on being supplied with some in a state of cap- 

 tivity, it will immediately testify its joy by a little soft 

 cry, frequently repeated, and by precipitate movements 

 of the wings, and bristlings of all the feathers. It will 

 plunge instantly into sand crashes, as other birds do into 

 water, remains there a long time, wallowing in all 

 sorts of ways, and does not come out of it until it is so 

 covered with it, that its plumage is scarcely to be dis- 

 tinguished. 



The Clapper Lark is of South Africa. It usually 

 makes its nest in some small grass, and lays from four 

 to five eggs, of a greenish gray. It seldom rises more 

 than from fifteen to twenty feet above the ground, and 

 makes a particular noise, occasioned by the precipitate 

 motion of its wings, which is heard at a great distance. 



The Red backed iMrk chiefly delights in plains 

 abounding with bushes. It perches readily on these, 



