THE WOODLARK. 
385 
for I have noticed it frequenting a neighbourhood 
almost destitute of trees. On approaching a Wood¬ 
lark on the ground, it suffers you to come very near, 
but suddenly rises and flies off to a short distance 
with an undulating movement in the air. In winter 
it observes the ordinary rule, and is silent during 
cold and inclement weather, but being like some 
few other birds, particularly its congeners the Sky¬ 
lark and Titlark, habitually a winter songster, it 
breaks forth into its melodious intonations immedi¬ 
ately on the recurrence of finer and milder intervening 
days. D uring the latter part of autumn and through 
the winter months it ordinarily preserves a short 
but highly enlivening and pleasing strain, which 
greatly resembles the song of the Treelark; yet 
what may be the rule for its congregating, its rule 
for night-singing, and the occasions it selects for 
pouring forth its completer song I am by no means 
sure, for being abroad at 11 P. M. on January 14th, 
1835, when the air was frosty and clear, and the 
weather generally fine, I heard three Woodlarks 
singing deliciously and continuously while perched 
on trees within about a gunshot of each other. It 
occurred to me at the time that these songsters were 
rivals in courtship, but the early date of this com¬ 
plete strain is somewhat against this idea. I have 
oftener heard this lark while perched on trees, than 
while mounted in the air, and I have never heard its 
incomplete and simpler song during night. It would 
almost seem that these little birds were more in¬ 
fluenced by love of society than by love of compe¬ 
tition and rivalry in their associations when occupied 
in the delivery of their night songs, for I have heard 
a small party engaged in singing during May (and 
I believe also June) when in all likelihood there 
were young in the nests. But besides a desire of 
congregating on these occasions to within short 
distances, I haye known Woodlarks chaunt within 
