85 
The Larks 
which rests of a bar at a time frequently occur; and in the last, 
a graduated sinking of the strains, often touching the sub¬ 
dominant before the final close. The time and number of the 
notes often correspond with the vibration of the wings; and 
though they sometimes sing while on the ground, as they 
are seen to do in cages, their whole frame seems to be agitated 
by their musical efforts.” 
Yarrell says (YH, Ed. 4, Vol. 1, p. 616) that “.the strains 
are heard during at least eight months of the year, while in 
summer the cock begins to sing about two hours before sunrise, 
and continues at intervals till after sunset. The actual dura¬ 
tion of each song is, however, much shorter, even in calm 
weather which is most favourable to it, than people think. 
at the beginning of the season it seldom exceeds two minutes, 
while in the full flush of spring a quarter of an hour is the 
utmost limit. 
The woodlark is considered by Bechstein (BC, p. 317) not 
only to excel all other larks in the beauty of its song, but 
surpasses all other birds except the chaffinch and the nightin¬ 
gale. “Its tones are flute-like, and the varying phrases of its 
song have all a melancholy and tender expression. It sings 
either perched on the top of a tree, or flies upwards almost 
beyond the reach of sight, and remains poised on its out¬ 
stretched wings, often warbling for an hour together.” “When 
the wood-lark is near trees,” says Mudie (MF, Vol. 2, p. 13), 
“it varies its pitch and cadence probably more than the sky¬ 
lark. It comes from the ground to the tree in a sort of waving 
course, singing very low, and giving but a portion of its brief 
stave. Then it perches and sings in an uniform key, but not 
full and round. After a little time it wheels upward, more 
widely and rapidly than the skylark, swelling its song as it 
ascends, and sometimes rising higher than the ordinary flight 
of the other, but generally not so high. When it takes the 
top of its flight, it sends down a volume of song which is inex¬ 
pressibly sweet, though there is a feeling of desolation in 
it.” In hot summer nights the woodlark soars and sings 
as in the day, and its song is then considered, by some, 
