ambition is satisfied without making any permanent stay, and it begins to descend, not with a uniform
downward motion, but by a series of droppings with intervals
its wings. Finally, as it draws near the earth,
recovers itself, sweeps away with
The time consumed in this evolution is at the most from fifteen
nor bave I ever observed it partially descend and soar upwards

affirms that ‘those acquainted with the song of the

of simple hovering, during which it seems to
it ceases it song and descends more rapidly ;

be resting on ; :
8 almost horizontal flight for a short

but before it touches the ground it
distance, and disappears in the herbage.

to twenty minutes, more frequently less ;

A writer in the ‘Magazine of Natural History ’
the birds be ascending or stationary in the air, or on

Yarrell was of the same opinion, though I

again.
Sky-Lark can tell, without looking at them, whether
their descent ; so different is the style of the song in each case.’

am not certain that I have myself attained the skill of discriminating.
eather in October it receives a new inspiration and is musical again. From

it resumes its aerial habits, but it neither ascends so bigh

In July the Lark ceases its soarings

avd song together, but in fine w

time to time during winter, if the season be mild,
, two or three minutes being now the limits of its performance. Like most other birds, it

nor sings so long
s of the afternoon; but it begins before sunrise, having been

sings least about noon and the first two hour

heard at midsummer as early as two o'clock, in the morning
into the night, having been heard at ten o’clock, when it was quite dark. Occasionally too, it sings on the

ground ; and in a cage, as all the world knows, it pours out its melody with as much spirit as if its six
inches of turf could be measured by acres, and the roof of its cage was the vault of heaven.” In confir-
mation of its having the habit of singing far into the night, I may mention that Lord Falmouth bas assured
me that on his estate of Tregothnan, in Cornwall, he has heard it on a fine summer evening as late as

; and it sometimes continues its song till late on

eleven o'clock.

It has always been a source of happiness to me to have been born and to live in a country having
such a charming accompaniment as the Sky-Lark. How mach must our American cousins regret that the bird
does not form part of their avifauna ! how keenly also is the blank felt in Australia! and how much would
either give if the Sky-Lark could be introduced and live among them! But, however much they may wish for
it, I, for one, think its establishment in either country impossible. Nature’s laws are strict, and difficult to
understand ; we cannot tell why the Nightingale will not live in Devonshire, nor the Grouse south of Wales.
Audubon and others have tried the experiment by turning out cages full of Sky-Larks on Long Island, in the
State of New York; but after a very short period they had all disappeared, and doubtless were soon back
in Britain, if their pinions were sufficiently perfect to enable them to cross the Atlantic. In Australia
similar attempts have been repeatedly made, with, so far as I can learn, no satisfactory result. How much
more, therefore, ought we to value this cheerful creature, whose innate love for its naan country prompts
it ever to remember it! Having stated that the Sky-Lark is not found in America or in Australia, it will
be well now to define the area over which it naturally ranges; and I am sure I shall not be making too
sweeping an assertion, if I say that it is found in more or less abundance over the whole of North Africa,
from Morocco to the Red Sea, and that it is dispersed in equal numbers over all parts of Europe, but
becomes more and more scarce as we approach nearer the extreme north. I find it has been observed in the
Ferroe Islands ; and it is mentioned as one of the stragglers that visit Madeira. Mr. Jerdon states that it has
been seen in) Affghanistan and the Himalayas, but does not include it in the birds of India. Von Schrenck
coumerates : euuLO the birds of Amoorland ; and Swinhoe states that it is abundant in China.

ee is ae eet of dried grasses, lined with finer fibres, and is placed in a depression of the
ground among the corn, or under the shelter of a ; i
number, of a greenish grey, irregularly freckled ae ae 4 Paes ace ria ee
er cits aca : e is | pel int of the same colour, greyish or umber

, hickly at the larger end as nearly to hide the ground-colour. The young, during the
downy state of their existence, are very beautifully marked—so much so that i ig : 1
ee : ee iat it becomes necessary to give
a description of them, in addition to the figures on the accompanying Plate. W “le
ying Plate. When ready to leave the nest,

their wide ga Ber Or : : 5
eir wide gapes are orange ; the bill pulpy and yellowish ; the legs, toes, and claws thick and yellowish ;
eS ? ay C ) 2

the hind ite y 75 hind claw parti 1

7 ind toe quite yellow; hind claw partially developed, being half the length of the hind toe; stripe over
the eye and the throat pale yellow, as is also the whole of the under aes
vinous stripe bordered with bluish black ; feathers of the upper sur
and fawn-colour, the latter occupying the margins

surface, except the chest, which is a
face spangled with brown, blackish brown,

Rede

ct ee and tips of the wing-feathers ; neat eyelash, fawn-yellow.

‘presents a female and a nest of young, of tl é i
young, of the natural size.

Ground-lvy (Nepeta glechoma). The flowering plant is the