316 THE WOODLARK. 



Food. In summer the Woodlark feeds on all kinds of 

 insects ; in autumn, on various seeds, e.g. poppy, rape, and 

 Unseed, millet, oats, &c. In spring, when insects and grubs 

 are not to be procured, it subsists upon green food. 



When confined, it may be fed on the universal paste, but, 

 as it is a more delicate bird than either of the two last de- 

 scribed, it is well to introduce a little variety into its diet. 

 For this purpose, poppy seed, oats, crushed hemp seed, sweet 

 curds, dry and fresh ants' eggs, bullock's heart boiled and 

 grated, malt, meal-worms, &c., may be occasionally given to it 

 in small quantities. When first taken, the food which seems to 

 tempt its appetite the soonest is poppy seed, oats, and ants' eggs. 



Breeding. The Woodlark builds its nest among the heath, 

 under juniper bushes, in the long grass of preserves, or hedge 

 sides in the neighbourhood of woods. It is constructed of dry 

 grass stalks, interwoven with moss, wool, and hair, and gene- 

 rally contains four or five eggs, spotted with whitish grey and 

 violet brown. The young birds, when taken from the nest, 

 may be reared on ants' eggs, and bread soaked in milk ; or if 

 the parents be also taken, they will feed their brood with this 

 food. They easily learn to imitate the songs of birds which 

 are confined in the same room ; but to me this artificial song is 

 not so agreeable as their natural warbling. 



Diseases. This bird is liable to all the diseases mentioned 

 in the Introduction, but is especially subject to a malady which 

 makes its claws drop off. The best prevention of this is a 

 strict attention to cleanliness, particularly to the removal of 

 hairs, which cut into the flesh. It rarely lives more than four 

 years, and generally dies of a broken leg, a peculiarity which 

 I have remarked in no other bird. 



Mode of Taking. The Woodlark may be taken by putting 

 limed twigs on the nest, or if this method be rejected as too 

 cruel, the use of the night net in autumn is often very success- 

 ful. During snow-storms, in spring, they may be caught with 

 limed twigs or a net, in places cleared from, or not yet covered 

 with snow. A good decoy will at the same time of the year lure 

 them to spots either in the furrows which have been set with 

 limed twigs, or within reach of the clap net. Like the Chaf- 

 finch, they may also be caught by a decoy, in which the wings 

 are tied, and which has a forked limed twig attached to it, as 

 before described. One advantage of this method is, that the 

 captive is always a male. 



