THE TITLAEK. 321 



in keeping the Titlark is to accustom it, when newly caught, 

 to the food of the aviary ; for which purpose it should be at 

 first fed with meal worms, grasshoppers from which the legs 

 have been taken off, and ants' eggs, with which the universal 

 paste may be mixed, in gradually larger quantities. The Tit- 

 lark does not sand itself like other Larks, but takes up water 

 with its bill, with which it sprinkles its body. 



Breeding. The Titlark builds its nest on the ground, in 

 gardens, meadows, or open spaces of the forest, among the long 

 grass. It is carelessly constructed of dry grass stalks, lined 

 inside with finer stalks, and horse and cow hair. The female 

 lays twice a year, four or five grey eggs, mottled with brown. 

 The young -which, on account of the numerous enemies to 

 whose attack they are exposed, leave the nest as soon as 

 fledged may be reared on ants' eggs, and bread soaked in 

 milk, mixed with a little poppy seed. They are very docile, and 

 learn to imitate, though not very perfectly, the notes of such 

 birds as are kept in the same room, particularly of the Canary. 



Diseases. The Titlark is subject to the usual diseases of 

 birds, as well as to the falling off of the feathers, at other 

 seasons than that of moulting. If at this period it be not 

 fed with good and nourishing food as, for example, meal 

 worms and ants' eggs it frequently dies of atrophy. The 

 average duration of its life is six years. 



Mode of Talcing. The surest, though an inhuman method of 

 catching the Titlark, is to put limed twigs on the nest. In 

 March a male bird may often be obtained by help of a decoy, 

 to which a limed twig is attached, in the manner already more 

 than once described. In autumn it may be taken with the 

 night net, if the places in the oat-stubble which they frequent, 

 be noticed ; though at this season of the year it is difficult to 

 distinguish between the sexes. Up to September, the Titlark 

 may be also caught in the water- trap. 



Attractive Qualities. The song of this bird, though consist 

 ing only of three passages, ornamented with trills and shakes, 

 is pleasant. It either sings perched on the top of a tree, or 

 ascending perpendicularly in the air, where it sustains itself 

 for a few moments, and then returns to its former place, re- 

 peating in its descent the syllables Tzia, tzia, tzia ! In a wild 

 state it sings from the end of March to July ; in confinement, 

 from February to the same period. It is an amusing bird, 



Y 



