THE LARK 257 



the fields on Saturdays and Sundays, and pit one against 

 another in trials of song. 



But this habit of caging the Lark for its song is common 

 from Connemara to Japan. The Chinese, in particular, are 

 partial to it. The author of Life and Sport in CJiina tells 

 how the natives of Peking make a practice of taking out 

 tame Larks to sing to them on holiday afternoons. The 

 Chinaman carries his bird's cage on the hand bent back 

 and upraised to the shoulder, very much as a German 

 v/aiter carries dishes. Having reached some pleasant spot, 

 he puts the cage on the ground, retires to a little distance, 

 and whistles to the bird. The Lark speedily responds, and 

 a group of pig-tailed listeners sit gravely enjoying the 

 music. 



If the Skylark is a bird of the open country, his cousins 

 the TREE PIPIT and the WOOD LARK prefer the leafy 

 woodlands, at all events while courting and nesting are 

 going on. The former is only a summer visitor, arriving 

 here about the middle of April. Like many another 

 migrant he loves to come back, year after year, to the 

 same neighbourhood, and often to the same tree. 



A trick which the Tree Pipit has may heljo you to 

 distinguish it from other similar songsters. This is a 

 habit of " soaring into the air from a tree-top, singing as 

 it goes, and after flying for some distance returning to its 

 starting-place." The song is very melodious — "a rapid 

 succession of clear loud notes, followed, towards the close 

 of its flight, by a prolonged and plaintive double note." 



In spite of its name, the Tree Pipit nests on the ground. 



The Wood Lark is a singer who has been praised by 

 some naturalists even above the Skylark, though his song 

 is less loud and strong. In many parts of our island his 

 voice is but rarely heard, but in other parts he can hardly 



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