The Titlark. 



249 



April, or the beginning of May, and has two nests in a year. 

 It builds on the ground, by the side of a pond or ditch, and 

 also in gardens, orchards, or meadows, among the tall grass. 

 The nest is composed of dry grass and root fibres, is lined 

 with horse or cow-hair, and is very indifferently constructed. 

 The hen lays, usually, four or five eggs, of a darkish brown 

 colour, mottled with darker brown ; she incubates fourteen 

 days. The young leave the nest, if not previously disturbed, 

 when about nineteen or twenty days old. Titlarks might, 

 possibly, be bred in confinement, under favourable and excep- 

 tional conditions. See remarks under this head in Chapter 

 XXXIL, on '^The Skylark." 



Methods of Captuee. — Titlarks may be taken in the same 

 way as Goldfinches and Linnets, with the day net and limed 

 twigs. They are easily captured by a decoy, with a forked, 

 limed twig, attached to it. They should be treated, when 

 caught, the same as other Larks, or Nightingales. 



Food and Teeatment. — Titlarks feed principally in the 

 open fields, on insects and their larvae ; and in winter, on a 

 number of different kinds of seeds. They are very fond of 

 flies, sheep ticks, small beetles, hog lice, ants, caterpillars, &c. 

 In confinement, they may be fed the same as Nightingales 

 or Woodlarks. When first caught, they require to be 

 crammed, as, like other Larks, they appear to have no notion 

 of feeding themselves. The same food should be given to 

 them as to newly-caught Nightingales, and in the same way ; 

 afterwards it should be distributed about the floor of the 

 cage, to induce them to eat. When once they become domes- 

 ticated, they get tame rapidly, and eat with freedom, as they 

 are robust, vigorous birds, and possessed of powerful appetites. 



Bearing the Yodng. — Young Titlarks should be taken, 

 when twelve days old, and reared in the same manner as 

 Skylarks or Woodlarks. They can also be brought up on 

 white bread, sopped in milk, and sprinkled with maw seed and 

 ants' eggs. They soon become very tame. They are hardy, 

 and not subject to colds, and the cramp, as are their congeners, 

 the Woodlark and Skylark ; hence they are easily reared. 



Distinguishing Marks of Cock and Hen. — The male bird 

 is much brighter in the ground colour of his plumage than 

 the female, this being more particularly noticeable on the 

 throat, fore part of neck and breast ; the legs and feet, too. 



