72 TREATISE ON 



and sometimes turn out very good birds. The 

 old ones seldom tame. However, there are other 

 kinds of bird-fanciers who think them excel- 

 lent birds ; we mean epicm'es. About Dunstable, 

 larks are taken in nets, attracted to them by glasses 

 called larking-glasses, which are fixed to a staff^ 

 and run out with a whii'ling motion. The larks, 

 seeing themselves in the looking-glasses, fly down, 

 when the nets are pulled over them, and many 

 dozens, in this manner, haA^e been caught at one 

 pull. Larks, in a state of confinement, will sing 

 eight or nine months in the year, and will live 

 (with care) till they are 14 or 16 years old. The 

 young ought to be kept by themselves, or only 

 along with excellent song-birds, as they will catch 

 the notes of any bird, whether good or bad. Well- 

 taught singing larks bring high prices. In Sweden 

 they are sold from three to six guineas each. 



These bii*ds haunt and build their nests in fields 

 of grass, marshes, meadows, heaths ; also in fields 

 of young oats, barley, and other grain, according 

 to the season. They make careless nests, of bent, 

 coarse withered grass, &c. lined with horse hair, and, 

 what is rather singular, we have observed the hair 

 is generally white. The nest is commonly placed, 

 (if early in the spring,) in a slight hollow, beside 



