THE SKYLARK. 
and, lifting np his voice, snng them a sermon infinitely more 
effective than the bishop himself could have preached. It was a 
wonderful sight to see that three or four hundred men, some 
reclining on the ground, some sitting with their arms on their 
knees and their heads on their hands, some leaning against the 
trees with their eyes closed, so that they might the better 
fancy themselves at home and in the midst of English corn- 
fields once more; but sitting, standing, or lying, all were 
equally quiet and attentive, and when, after an hour’s steady 
preaching, the lark left off, his audience soberly started off, a 
little low-spirited, perhaps, but on the whole much happier 
than when they came. 
“ I say, Joe,” one digger was heard to say to another, “ do 
you think that Wilsted would sell him,— the bird, you know ; 
I’ll give as much gold-dust for him as he weighs, and think 
him cheap.” 
“ Sell him, be blowed ! ” was the indignant response ; “ how 
would you like a feller to come to our village at home and 
make a bid for our parson?” 
The Choice oe a Skylark. — It is a pleasant reflection and a 
comfort to our consciences, that the skylark seems in no way to 
suffer either in health or spirits through being made captive ; 
indeed, if you have the good fortune to possess a young and 
healthy bird, and treat him properly, there is no natural reason 
why he should not delight you with his music for fifteen or 
even twenty years. It is asserted by some naturalists that 
the skylark has even attained the great age of thirty years, but 
for the truth of this I will not vouch. However, the first thing 
is to get a young healthy bird, and as it is by no means easy 
to distinguish a healthy from a sickly bird, or even the cock- 
bird from the hen, the following hints respecting the choice of 
a skylark may be found useful. 
The bird should be slim, upright, and well planted on his 
legs. He should hold his head well up, so that from the front 
the whole of his under parts to the extremity of his tail may 
be seen. Eleck your finger along the bars of his cage, and 
observe whether he instantly puts up his crest. If he does so, 
and if he in every way answers to the above description, you 
may conclude that he is a healthy bird. To know his age, 
examine his legs. If they are clumsy and scaly, or if they are 
mottled, showing that the scales have been removed, he is an 
old bird. If its legs are sleek and clean, and its toes all perfect, 
it is a young bird. To distinguish the cock from the hen, see 
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