The Skylark. 
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THE SKYLAKK (Alauda arvensis.) 
" Go, tuneful bird, that gladd'st the skies, 
To Daphne's window speed thy way ; 
And there on quivering pinions rise, 
And there thy vocal art display." 
Shenstone. 
The Skylark is distinguished from most other birds by 
the long spur on the back toe, the earthy colour of his 
feathers, and by singing as he mounts in the air. These 
birds generally make their nest in meadows among the 
high grass, and the tjnt of their plumage resembles so 
much that of the ground, that the body of the bird is 
hardly distinguishable as it runs along. 
" The daisied lea he loves, where tufts of grass 
Luxuriant crown the ridge : there, with his mate, 
He founds their lonely house, of withered herbs, 
And coarsest spear-grass; next the inner work, 
With finer, and still finer fibres lays, 
Bounding it curious with his speckled breast." 
Grahame. 
Larks breed twice a year, in May and July, rearing 
their young in a short space of time. They are caught 
in great quantities in winter, and are considered choice 
and delicate food. It is a melancholy observation, that 
man should feed upon, and indulge his sense of taste 
with those very birds which have so often delighted his 
sense of hearing with their songs, when they usher to 
