Reproduction 43 
slowly and distinctly uttered, and the rest somewhat hurriedly 
run together . . . This ditty sweetens on occasion . . . The 
black speck unmistakably reappears, and it gradually enlarges 
as the bird approaches. Down, down it comes, meteor-like, with 
wings almost closed, until one fears it will dash out its life on 
the earth. But no, it alights in safety . . .”’ 
Hatch (1892), shortly after Langille’s account, gives the fol- 
lowing (also in part): ‘‘. . . a male flitted up from the ground 
about ten to fifteen feet into the air and about thirty yards 
directly in front of me, simultaneously bursting into song . . 
flitting, sailing, singing, he zigzagged right and left, mounting 
constantly higher and higher . . . until he entirely disappeared 
from unaided vision . . . Still the music . . . was distinctly 
audible when, after several minutes, his song suddenly ceased 
he closed his wings and, head straight downward, descended with 
the velocity of a spent bullet until, within a single yard of the 
ground . . . he opened his wings and touched the ground as 
lightly as a snowflake. . .”’ 
Before taking up accounts of other writers I should like to 
point out one or two details in these descriptions at variance 
with my observations of nearly three hundred flight bint (1) 
The Lark only occasionally seems to go higher after it begins to 
sing, most frequently it loses elevation for the song is, ordinarily, 
begun at the maximum height. (2) Only once did I observe a 
Lark begin to sing as he started to climb, as Hatch’s description 
reads. 
Hegner (1899) gives a description of the flight song similar 
to the above, adds that the Lark ‘‘arose at an angle of 45 degrees, 
in short stretches . . . Made circles 300 yards in diameter, 
sang fully five minutes.’”? Allen (1923) gives as ae 
description of the flight song. Goss (1891), Bailey (1908) and 
Chapman (1923) mention the flight song though they ~~ 
careful description. Chapman, quoting Seton, also says: “‘but 
it often utters this same song while perched on some clod or 
stone especially just before dawn and after sunset. - 
Types of song.—Though Langille’s description of the Sito 
“quit, quit, quit you silly rig and get away , 1s remarks 4 
close to one type, still he is the only writer who attemp i - 
a description and it is of but part of the song. Bailey ealls it 
