126 
A SCIENTIFIC APPRECIATION [ch. vi. 
sometimes succeeded. Numerous were the attempts 
the hawk made to seize the little bird, which, 
with wonderful agility, always evaded it by turning 
aside and shooting abruptly upwards. A single 
false movement would have been fatal. The hawk, 
unable to turn so quickly as the lark, endeavoured 
to seize it from one side, then from the other, some¬ 
times from beneath, and now and then from above. 
Whenever it attempted to ascend, the lark strove 
to outdo it, and frequently succeeded. It seemed 
as if the lark could not venture to shoot ofl, lor it 
always kept close to the hawk. The chase con¬ 
tinued for about fifteen minutes, attempts at seizure 
being made at very short intervals all that time. 
Sometimes the hawk, shooting down obliquely, 
the lark, however,- evading it, could not overcome 
the impetus given in time to have another clutch, 
but wheeled off to some distance. At length the 
lark appeared almost exhausted, and seeme 
drawing near the end of its career. Unable to rise 
above its enemy, and coming nearer and nearer to 
the ground, it tried a rapid descent, but was 
instantly overtaken, and repeatedly pounced at. 
The birds were now for a while quite close to 
each other, and several very quick movements were 
made by the hawk, and dexterously avoided by the 
lark. They were gradually descending, when the 
lark suddenly sped away towards a farm-steading 
about five hundred yards distant. The hawk 
pursued, and both passed so near to me, as I leaned 
against a wall, that the greyish-blue tint of t e 
dorsal plumage, and the black moustaches o 
the pursuer were distinctly visible. Rapidly shoot- 
in^ in between the. corn-stacks, the lark was as 
rapidly followed. In a little while both birds 
re-appeared, flew round the house, and amongst the 
trees in the garden, then again shot in between 
the stacks, darted back among the trees, rose high 
