THE LARK. 



NATURALISTS distinguish the Larks by the very 

 long claw of the hind toe, and the length of certain 

 of the wing-feathers. But to most people, and 

 especially to boys and girls, a far more interesting fact is 

 that they belong to a musical family. 



There are many of them — something like seventy — 

 with separate names, and although one is found in North 

 America and another in South America, the Larks may be 

 said to be birds of the eastern hemisphere. Europe in 

 particular is rich in Larks. Our island has two of the 

 best, and we should be thankful for that. One of these 

 is the SKYLARK. 



A truly wonderful singer is he. There are many people 

 who rate his music higher than that of the nightingale. 

 It were good to believe that ; for certainly for every one 

 person who has listened to the "bird of night," thousands 

 have heard the Skylark. One likes to remember, too, that 

 whereas the nightingale's music is set off to advantage by 

 the stillness of the woods and fields (for night seems to 

 love to come 



"And call deep silence for his songs," 



SO that no jarring sounds may interfere), the Skylark 

 springs into the air when the noises of the day are all 

 about him, and compels us by his exquisite minstrelsy to 

 forget all these and listen to him, till he has soared 

 veritably out of sight and hearing. 



And what melody it is ! Really there is nothing q\iite 



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