ACROSS THE OPEN FIELDS AND DOWNS. 77 



eggs are grayish white, spotted, clouded, and 

 mottled over the entire surface with greenish 

 brown. The hen-bird sits closely, leaving and 

 returning to her nest by running stealthily 

 through the herbage; and the cock -bird never 

 drops down upon it, always visiting it in a similar 

 way. Two broods are often reared in the year. 

 The Skylark moults in September, and about 

 that time begins to pack upon the stubbles. Its 

 food consists of insects, larvae, and worms in 

 summer, but for the remainder of the year it is 

 chiefly composed of seeds and grain. Skylarks 

 are rarely seen in the air after the breeding 

 season, skulking close among the herbage of the 

 fields, where they also sleep, and only rising with 

 a mellow double call-note as we almost tread upon 

 them in walking across their haunts. To these 

 they are remarkably attached, and frequent certain 

 stubbles all through the winter, only quitting them 

 during long-continued snow, returning as soon as 

 the weather is milder. 



The wanderer across the downs and fields, 

 inland or near the coast, will often observe a 

 brown-looking bird, heavy in movement and stout 

 of form, about the size of the Skylark. This is 

 the COMMON BUNTING (Ernberizu miliaria). He widely 

 is the largest of the Buntings, the least showy in 

 colour, and the least musical in song. Very often 

 you may see him sitting on the top of a little 

 bush in the fields, or even on the telegraph wires 

 and walls, and every few moments hear his short, 

 monotonous song, which, if we translate it into 

 English, sounds like see-see-see-I-I-Pm-he-r-r-re. 

 He is a most pertinacious singer, too, and from 

 early spring until the autumn remains in voice. 



