ZOOLOGY. Gl 



Ji:^e, 1850, I received intelligence from a little negro boy, 

 that a strange bird frequented the north hills, near his 

 mother's cottage. He described the bird as being " less than 

 a pigeon, and of a light green colour about the neck." My 

 young informant also stated that about twelve or one o'clock 

 in the day, this strange bird would rise in the air to a great 

 height, making a " curious noise," when it appeared not to 

 know how to get down again, and would at last tumble 

 down like a stone. This was quite sufficient to rouse my 

 curiosity, and being convinced the boy's description applied 

 to none of the native birds, and that I might meet with the 

 Meadow lark of America on those hiUs, I immediately pro- 

 ceeded to the spot, n ailin g at the cottage I learned from 

 the boy's mother the usual haunt of the strange bird, and 

 was on the point of leaving, when, to my utter surprise, the 

 well known delightful cadence of the European sky lark 

 burst in full power and sweetness upon the senses. The 

 woman at once exclaimed, " There he is !" and endeavoured 

 to point out the bird as it floated beneath the clouds above 

 us, but the moving speck continued invisible to my sight. 

 All doubts being removed as to the real character of the 

 strange bird, I followed in the direction in which it was seen 

 by the woman to " go down like a stone," and diligently 

 hunted for an hour without findiag it. The weather being 

 warm, I seated myself upon a stone, determined to wait 

 until the iuterestiag songster should think proper to take 

 another flight. In a quarter of an hour he rose at a con- 

 siderable distance, and after pouring forth a flood of melody 

 (which to one who had not heard the sky lark for sixteen 

 years was an indescribable pleasure), went down, in the true 

 sky lark style, on the top of a neighbouring hiU. Of course 



