PERCHING BIRDS. 97 



Our winter flocks vary greatly in numbers ; in some 

 years they are much more abundant than in others. In. 

 January, 1 850, this was particularly the case ; the frost 

 in that year was very severe, and during its continuance 

 the larks frequented the turnip-fields and fed on the 

 tender shoots of the tops, as well as on those parts of 

 the roots themselves where the sheep had bitten. Of 

 this I satisfied myself by frequent observation. They 

 never, however, assemble in such immense numbers on 

 the downs of the southern counties. 



I have not had the pleasure of seeing the skylark re- 

 move its eggs, as it is reported to do, but on two occasions 

 I have known a nest laid bare by the mowers in my field, 

 and on visiting each a few hours afterwards, the eggs 

 were gone. No one had been in the field, and though 

 in the case of one which was exposed, some prying crow 

 might have abstracted the eggs, yet as there were no 

 fragments of shells around, this did not appear to have 

 been the case, while the other was almost concealed 

 from view by the swathe of clover which partly projected 

 over it. In both cases the eggs disappeared, and I have 

 little doubt were removed by the bird itself. Any one 

 who will take the trouble to place an egg in the foot of 

 a skylark will find how easily it is clasped by the toes 

 and their long claws, and what facilities these offer for 

 its safe removal. 



I have only met with one other member of this family 

 viz., the Woodlark (A. arborea), and it is by no means 

 common. I have seen it often enough to be well ac- 

 quainted with it, and have watched its flight, so different 

 from any of its congeners ; but it is sufficiently rare to 

 be very interesting when it does occur. I once found its 

 eggs, which were of a whitish ground colour, rather 



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