Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-07
THE ENGLISH SKYLARK.
The Origin of IL Colony Found on
Long Island.

lStuhu
From the New York Evening Post.
In an article headed Song Birds and
Farm Pests" published in the Evening
Post in June, 1887, ii was announced for
the first time, so far as 1 am aware, that
the English skylark was successfully col
oniZed on Long Island. Interest in the
subject became widespread, and many per-
sons who saw for themselves the birds
soaring in the sky and heard their melo-
dious strains expressed their delight at en-
joying an opportunity that they had often
longed for. but had given up the expecta-
ton of ever being able to experience.
The government ornithologist, upon the
receipt of the intelligence. disputed its ac-
curacy, and contented that it was not the
skylark but the shore-lark that had bean
heard. He caused specimens to be procured
and forwarded to him. however, and on
their receipt he acknowledged the corr ect-
ness Of the statement as made, but he
could give no informant ton as to the intro
duction OF tie birds here.
Upon subsequent investigation it was
learned that in 1853 about half dozen
pairs of skylarks were brought from Eng
land at the instance of a little group of
DirCi-loving residents of Brooklyn, and in
trcduced in a locality near Flatlands, and
these birds or some of their progeny, had
been seen occasionally during the thirty
years following such introduction. In the
spring OF lSSJ owing doubtless to favor
able season or of two such seasons in sue
cession, the little band of songsters had
made a noticeable gain III numbers, at
tracing the attention of the farmers. In
the first days of March, 1883, the SkylarkS
We're quite plentiful. and were seen and
heard, soaring, as is their won't by many
Cple.
Then came the blizzard. About two
weeks after the storm a nature-loving
friend and myself, concerned for the fate
of our lar2ls.' made a trip down to the
place where We had found them most
numerous. The day was bright and the
temperature mild. Southerly slopes were
tnged with green, while along the hedge
rows and fences We're stretched jagged
strips of snow, remnants Of the great
storm. We searched long and diligently
for our songsters, but found no sign Of
them. little chipping sparrow, who
chirped for a moment on a telegraph pole
was the only show OF bird life we saw that
day. We made many inquiries of farmers
and others roundabout, but none had seen
or heard any sllylarks Since the BLIZZARD"
although many OF those persons had heard
them or seen them soaring just before the
storm. Heaps OF dead BIRDS we were
told, as the snow melted away, were found
or the ground; they We're mostly ground
birds and sparrows, with some quail among
them, they said.
During the spring and summer follow
ing, and in the course of several succeed
ing springs and summers, made a num-
her of attempts to find surviving skylarks
or traces of them, but without. success. and
we reluctantly came 10 the conclusion that
of our musical colonists the blizzard had
let none survive.
Two weeks ago, however, received from
friend such positive assurances that our
feathered favortes could again be seen and
heard near their old hauntS that at the
first opportunity, l took a trip to the local
!ty described Within a short half hour
after my arrival at the place my ears were
IE-lip tod will ha ajf1S
and my eyes were glaadened by the sight
of them. After all, some had withstood
the storm, and now again, from mere
spechs tWinkling in the blue sky or against
Snowy cloud, streamlets OF silvery notes
are poured down.
y resident of the neighborhood kindly
guided me to the spot in field near by.
where he had found a sllylark's nest As
We stood over the spot my guide was
obliged nearly to touch the nest with his
niger to enable me to distinguish it. so
cunningly was it made to assimilate the
ground. He said that it contained when
he found it, two weeks previously three
half-1edged young ones and one egg The
fedglings had since departed to begin life
on their own account, but the egg was still
If the nest.
The skylark Is exclusively dweller In
the open, frequenter of titled lands In
early spring he haunts newly ploughed
fields, feeding upon worms and slugs which
have been upturned with the soil; later on,
and throughout summer, he is found feed
ing mainly in the cabbage and the potato
patches. In the one he is known to be an
Industrious destroyer of that troublesome
pest, the English cabbage worm, and in the
other he procures, it is believed, the larvae
of the potato bug to feed to his nestiings
His nests have been found under the shelter
OF the potato vines. He has since his
naturalization proved to the farmer that
he is valuable "old world remedy" for at
least one troublesome pest of old world
origin, the English cabbage worm.
A Singular Announcement.