Music of the Wild 



tlie fact that not one-tenth of these same lark- 

 lovers ever heard the song of the hermit thrusli 

 have anything to do with the case. They prefer 

 the lark liecause they so Io\'e him they are con- 

 vinced they yet would like him best if they did 

 hear the thrush. 



From tlieir choir-loft one would sujjpose that 



elms Mere not high enough to turnish larks a nest- 



ing-2)lace. That is the great surprise about them. 



Earth- Because he whistles close earth, and brings forth 



born j^jj, young ou its breast, the quail seems consistent. 



Singers ,^ ' , , i • i i i 



Because the lark smgs nearest heaven one would 

 expect him to have the nesting habits of the wood 

 ]:)ewee. But he drops abruptly to earth, hare earth, 

 and in tlie shelter of a grassy hummock or amidst 

 the growing clover or wheat establishes a home. 

 His mate turns on tlie point of her breast until she 

 M'ears out a hollow that she lines, and often roofs, 

 M'ith dry grasses, leaving her door to the east, in 

 most instances, as my observation has proved. 

 From four to six eggs are deposited — more often 

 six — and almost always the brood comes off 

 safely. 



Larks are secretive and shy about their build- 

 ing. They always walk several yards under cover 

 of the grasses on leaving tlieir nests before they 

 take wing, and retin-n to them in the same man- 

 ner, so that when you see a lark alight you are 

 not sure he is Avithin a rod of his home in any di- 



186 



