180 NEW ZEALAND NATURE-STUDY BOOK 
is often almost literally correct. After two or three spirals, 
the bird goes up almost as if it were drawn heavenwards 
by a cord, and then, closing its wings, descends like a 
falling stone to the very point from which it rose. The 
strain upon the muscles and the lungs would be great if 
during all this time it were silent. But it chooses to add 
to the exertion of soaring that of pouring forth a continuous 
flood of sweet notes, with no intermissions or breaks what- 
ever. A Lark will soar and sing during a space of ten 
minutes consecutively. The rapidity with which the 
pectoral muscles are working during this period may be 
judged from the fact that the birds make not less than 
from five to six beats of the wing per second. The beats 
are usually in sets of from three to five, the bird pausing 
for a moment as if to take a fresh start after the interval.” 
The nest. There is always something very pleasing in 
the sight of a Lark’s nest. It is usually sunk in a hollow 
of the ground or built in a tuft of grass, and, unlike the 
nests of many ground-building birds, is made with con- 
siderable care, the cup being deep and perfectly circular, 
and lined with fine dry grass. It is moreover difficult to 
find—indeed it is but seldom discovered except by accident, 
as for instance when the fields are mown. The nest is 
seldom made near the margin of a field where the bird 
might be disturbed by passers-by. Sky-larks have usually 
two broods in the year, and lay from four to five eggs 
—though four is the usual number. 
The eggs are greenish-grey in colour and marked with 
light brown spots. The female bird sits on the nest while 
the male looks for food, some of which he carries to his 
mate, or sings his glorious song as he mounts and soars in 
the air. 
