. Our native songsters . rth, can at times lift itself to heaven. The French call the sky-lark, Alouette dechamps; the Italians, Lodola canterina, and Lo-dola di monta/jno; and it is the Feld Lerche of theGermans. It is very general in all the countriesof Europe. A very sweet singer is the Wood-lark,* ( xiJaiuharborea,) but though its flute-like notes are asrich and sweet as those of the sky-lark, they areliardly so varied and never so loud. It is evenan earlier singer than that bird, and is associatedin our minds with the cold wintry days. At aseason when the eye wanders in vain in search ofa
. Our native songsters . rth, can at times lift itself to heaven. The French call the sky-lark, Alouette dechamps; the Italians, Lodola canterina, and Lo-dola di monta/jno; and it is the Feld Lerche of theGermans. It is very general in all the countriesof Europe. A very sweet singer is the Wood-lark,* ( xiJaiuharborea,) but though its flute-like notes are asrich and sweet as those of the sky-lark, they areliardly so varied and never so loud. It is evenan earlier singer than that bird, and is associatedin our minds with the cold wintry days. At aseason when the eye wanders in vain in search ofa green bough, save where it rests on,a wild hollyor a garden evergreen, and when the meadow-grass has but few daisies among it; at a timewhen winds sweep through the desolate woods,this bird is singing his long full song for hourstogether; and when joined by several of its com- * The Wood-lark is six inches in length. The plumage re-sembles that of the sky-lark, but it may be distinguished by apale streak above each THE WOOD-LAKK. 239 panions, making the otherwise still landscaperesound with melody. Who that goes into thecom land, bordered hy woods, in January, doesnot welcome there the gentle song of the robin,and the richer strain of the wood-lark, mingled asthey are with the bleak winds which rush amongthe boughs, and scatter the brown leaves over thepathway, in wild confusion? Who has not goneaway to his fire-side, taking with him, from tliewoods, a pleasant cheerful thought, and a memoryof gladness and joy, when he had little hoped forone sound of music, save that of the wind ? Howstrong the bird seems as it wheels its way, inlarge circles, singing high in air, sometimes for anhour together, and never pausing to rest eitherits wing or voice! This wheeled mode of flight atonce distinguishes it from the sky-lark, whichrises in the air almost perpendicularly, and witha spiral movement. Om wood-lark, too, has thepower of remaining longer on the wing, and thoughits song r
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1853
