THE WOOD-LARK. 13 



habits of that bird. It feeds on the ground, upon insects 

 and seeds, and is probably more insectivorous than the 

 other. It nestles on the ground, though under cover : and 

 though it occasionally sings from the top of a tree or bush, 

 its general practice is to sing in the air, swelling its notes 

 as it ascends, and sinking them as it descends, in the same 

 manner as the other. Its notes have also some resemblance 

 to those of the sky-lark, but they are not so numerous, and 

 they are soft and rather plaintive, while those of the sky-lark 

 are the merriest of all the feathered race. 



When the wood-lark is near trees, it varies its pitch and 

 cadence probably more than the sky-lark. It comes from 

 the ground to the tree in a sort of waving course, singing- 

 very low, and giving but a portion of its brief stave. Then 

 it perches and sings in an uniform key, but not full and 

 round. After a little time it wheels upward, more wildly 

 and rapidly than the sky-lark, swelling its song as it ascends, 

 and sometimes rising higher than the ordinary flight of the 

 other, but not generally so high. When it takes the top of 

 its flight, it sends down a volume of song which is inexpres- 

 sibly sweet, though there is a feeling of desolation in it. 

 The song, indeed, harmonizes admirably with the situation ; 

 and to hear the wood-lark on a wild and lone hill-side, where 

 there is nothing to give accompaniment, save the bleating of 

 a flock, and the tinkle of a sheep-bell, so distant as hardly 

 to be audible, is certainly equal to the hearing even of 

 those more mellow songs which are poured forth in richer 

 situations. 



The admirable manner in which the songs of birds are 

 tuned to the characters of their general haunts, so that the 

 song gives life to the scene, and the scene effect to the song, 

 must equally strike and delight even the most casual 

 observer : 



In the soft and bowery vales of the south, where the soil 



