96 



Order I 



the uninitiated for the very different Crested Lark. 

 Whether it be seen rising from the ground and flying 

 low before us, dihgently dusting itself on the roads, or 

 soaring high in the air, it is always the same familiar 

 friend, while its joyous song, uttered on the wing at 

 all times of year, is one of the most delightful sounds 

 of the country-side. The notes are no doubt most 



Skylark 



perfect in the breeding season, when the male rises as 

 far as the keenest sight can follow him and serenades 

 his sitting mate, but they may generally be heard in 

 sunny weather even in winter. The food consists 

 chiefly of insects and worms, with a certain proportion 

 of seeds ; the nest is made of grasses, and is built in 

 pastures, young corn fields, or rough herbage, or even 

 on banks and sandy flats, and generally contains four 



