The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-02-14
sKYLARK OF FICTION.
- ~ Least. sa orni,hoiosiss aas Dis-
esvsrsd-Ths Nightingale IL Net
Qalts 90 ossrsstsd warbler.

generally accepted by mankind. are
hctions. This MAY bc easiI learned at
first hand. for as both birds are common
In their haunts aud widely distributed
In Europe. the fiction appears To he
much better known than the birds
themselves.
The skylark OF fiction. says corrc-
spondent In the N. Y. Ercaing Post.
Ia Luccrne. Switzerland. II may be
well TO state. Is songster Of sur
passing ability. whose habitual station
while singing Is at point sufficiently
above the earth's surface TO reeder him
iuvisiblc 10 the naked eyo. His music
desceuds rs II from heaven itself.
challenging the admiration of tho
densest clodhopper. and lifting the cul-
tured soul 10 dizzy heights OF senti-
mont.
The real skylsrk has. indeed. tho
habit Of singing on the wing; doubt
less he sometimes mounts high enough
TO become invisible; there Is good evil
deucc to thar effect. But lac certainly
prefers 10 be within easy optical range.
Though do not myself profess TO have
acquired perfect familiarity with his
habits. | have studied him in
many parts Of Europe; | have
watched him patiently. sympathct-
ically. hopefully. for hours AT time.
and never have known him To reach
an altitude at which he could not be
seen plainly by any normal eye. More
than this. he delights TO sing upon the
ground. Very often. indeed. when A
careless listener aaying Ia mind the
lark of fiction believes him out Of
sight In the sky. Inc Is to be found in
some iayoriie spot a-perch.
The lark possesses a voice Of medi.
ocrr quality. and produces a song far
inferior TO those OF many other birds.
Al best his music Is canary like: at
worst IL Is positively insectile. Dis
lance does not enhance its effect. On
the contrary tho farther away tue sing
ing bird. the harshcr aud shriller his
performance.
But let me do the lark Justice. lie
Is one OF the most CHEEKY and indefati-
gable Of bird singers. BE IL fair or
foul. DO IL sultry OF chill his stsdulous
notes may be heard from morning till
night In the season. have seen him
cxulting over snow-cosercd fields la
Switzerland when June had suddenly
produced day with the characteristics
Of December--as heartily aud persist
emily rs Ii he had looked down upon
the greenest meadows aed the gayest
flowers. Such thoroughgoing optim-
ism has a charm OF its own; and Que
,lisseussto- iAo. lark with approval ana
pleasure ia spite OF his musical deii-
ciencics.
Need il he said that the nightingale
OF fiction Is the Incompatible songsier.
who through all the hours OF daylight
Turks perdu. silent. melancholy. but ia
the depths of night transcends imagi-
nation with his melodyP On the morning
Of May 3 | was walking in the park OF
vincennes. with an eve TO the birds.
Not far from tho old chateau | MAS
brought 10 a stop 10y loud thrush
like song. which came from thicket
1T \ distanc. OF half-a-dozen PAGES.
did not know the song. aud drew my
ficld-glass out of its case aud took up
position behind the nearest tree ia the
hops OF identifying The musician. His
strain was at once repeated. | noted
that IL was quite complicated. and that
IL was delivered with much boldness
aud decision; but IL did not impress uic
~ being OF unusual excellence. Yet.
= moment later. as the singer descend
ed to the ground just before me 10
secure tidbit that had caught his eve.
l discovered that hal been listening
10 = nightingale. The bird saw mo at
the same Instant. aud. with short.
cultural note Of alarm. disappeared ia
his thicket. | waited attendance upon
his pleasure for some time afterward.
but In vain; he neither showed himself
again nor favored INC with another
song.
walked many kilometers about Vim
cenncs that day. aud | found several
other nightingales within its bound
aries. all OF them more car less sincsnl.
no one OF them the accomplished singer
1 Was prepared TO hear. Two DAYS later
] had q similar experience al 81. Cloud.
hut told myself that | must hear the
bird At night before | should he coupe
tent TO pass Judgment upon his atlli-
siex and on the 9Th Of May | went ont
from Paris 10 the Forest OF ST. Ger
man on Lave, 10 that end.
IL was a tue morning aud hot one
upon which entered the forest. AT
high noon. when tirst heard the song
Of Ds0iiss lnscinia. the local Their
momelcrs must have indicated a tenn
perature OF about 80 degrees ia the
shade. Nevertheless, that same first song
was Que Of the best have ever heard
produced BY sny nightingale under Any
circumstances really delightful out
pouring. risaling in its arior the love-
songs OF the boboluk andl the purple
inch. In was an admirable perform
snce but II was not hy ANY means
matches one. felt that Il was rich
" worth hearing again. II was not re-
psAted. however. Aud during the next
four hours aud half though tramp
ed about persislcnsly. heard osly oc-