SONG BIRDS OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



of the hour. The Skylark also sings now, and 

 its song is very sweet, full of harmony, cheerful 

 as the blue sky and gladdening beam in which 

 it circles and sports, and known and admired 

 by all ; but the voice of the Woodlark is local, 

 not so generally heard, — from its softness must 

 almost be listened for, to be distinguished, and has 

 not any pretensions to the hilarity of the former. 

 This little bird sings likewise in the spring ; but at 

 that season, the contending songsters of the grove, 

 and the variety of sound proceeding from everything 

 that has utterance, confuse and almost render inau- 

 dible the placid voice of the Woodlark. It delights 

 to fix its residence near little groves and copses, 

 or quiet pastures, and is a very unobtrusive bird, 

 not uniting in companies, but associating in its 

 own family parties, only feeding in the woodlands, 

 on seeds and insects. Upon the approach of man, 

 it crouches close to the ground, then suddenly 

 darts away as if for a distant flight, but settles 

 again almost immediately.* 



Woodlarks generally congregate in the cold 

 months ; though their assemblies are small com- 

 pared with those of the Skylarks, being rarely com- 

 posed of more than six or seven birds. Their food 

 is grain and seeds of various kinds, as well as 

 insects. 



These birds are taken with clap-nets in great 

 numbers in September ; they are likewise taken 

 in January, at which time they are very stout, 

 good birds. They should be fed with hemp-seed, 



* Journal of* n Naturalist. 



