The Beaumont enterprise. [volume] (Beaumont, Tex.) 1904-current, 1904-10-13
THE SKYLARK'S SONG
AN ASTONISHING FEAT FROM MANY
POINTS or VIEW,

any birds. The tone aud quality are
admirable and III, volume 0r sound as
tonlshing. II can be heard clearly
when the lark has mounted, AS II
sometimes does. beyond recognition by
normal cyesight. The volume OF sound
Is also most noticeable when Gagged
lark Ia heard, singing as II does far
nearer 10 the hearor than the hird IN
the sky. But apart from the qnnii'y
and music Of the song the circum
stances In which II is uttered render
IL an astonishing feat.
Every other considerable songster 10
quite aware that singing entails much
physical effort. Consequently II taxes
care TO secure good platform 10 SINK
from, A thrush or blnckbird or
robin nearly always selects top shoot
or projecting bough, preferably dehd
one, on which II sits and sings. never
moving It's position, and without any
objects round IL 10 hinder the carry OF
its voice. The blnckcnp anu nlghtlh'
gale and some OF the warblcrs Sit IN
a bush 10 sing, but the whitethront
and even the hedge sparrow choose
the topmost twlg. The whitethroat
sometimes sings when descending. ANA
some of the plplts and the wood lark
do the same, the meadow pipit singing
n feeble little song as II makes a short
ascent and descent.
But 10 the strain on Its lungs or long
protrncted song the lark adds the great
muscular eXertion OF steady upward
flight, usually carried out not by seal
Ing the air in gentle circles. az III the
soaring of the larger birds, but by
vertical climb made by the inceSsant
beating of It's wings. Wordsw0rths
recognition Of ii as the
Type Of the wise who Bonr. but never
roam,
True TO the kindred points OF heaven and
home.
rs often almost literally correct. AFTER
two or three spirals the bird goes up
almost as IL ii were drawn heavenwnrd
by IL cord, and then, closing It's wings,
dcscends like falling stone to tie
very point from which 1t rose. The
strain upon the muscles and the lungs
would be great If during all this time
1t were silent. But 1t chooses to add
10 the exerton of soaring that of pour
ing forth continuous flood OF sweet
notes with no intermissions or breaks
whatever.
A lark will soar and sing during
space Of ten minutes consecutively. The
rnpidity with which the pectoral mus
Cles are working during this period
may be judged from the fact that the
bird makes not less than from five to
six beats of the wing per second. The
beats are usually in sets Of from three
10 five, the bird pausing for moment
as II to take n fresh start after the
interval When chased by the merlin
falcon, skylarks make their finest eX-
hibitions of flight ascending into the
air to heights which have been esti-
mated as being not less than thou
sand feet Sometimes the bird uses
the same means of ascent as when 1t Is
soaring and singing, rising vertically
by incessant beats of the wing. In the
language of the falconer, these are
termed amounting" larks, and their
object is to outfy the hawk directly,
shaking off its pursuit during the as
cent. Others prefer to rise by lying in
a spiral, which the falcon initiates.
Mr.. Il. Il. Michel, in his volume on
1.-THE Art and Practice of Hawking"
says: "The one bird may be circling
from right to left and the other from
left to right, and neither seems to guide
the direction OF its rings by any refer
ence to those which the other is max
ing. Vt is now struggle to see which
can get up fastest, ana ii Is astonish-
Ing to see to what a height such lights
will sometimes reach. AS soon IN Il
lark is 500 feet high ii can drop, almost
like n stone, into any cover within n
radius OF 200 yards from the spot just
under II, allowance being made for the
effect of the wind. But 500 feet is not
high for a ringing flight; ut least there
Is nothing unusual about IL. \ lark
does not 80 out of sight until II Is
much above that height. and 1t Is no
extraordinary thing for ii TO do this"
The lark seldom sings late In the day.
1t can be tempted to rise in burst or
melody for one final ascent II the even
Ing sun breaks through the clouds after
rain. but as rule II is silent long
before the sun has descended into the
western bed of cloud. We have Mil
toms authority that IL Is up and In song
before dawn. But those who have
Heard the lark begin its flight
And singing startle the dun night
are not easily found. though in the
height Of the pairing time IL may very
possibly be beforehand with aurora in
greeting its mate. But as a rule the
lark sings at sunrise. as the ortolRn
eats Darkness dcpresseS Il and keeps
q mute. but a CLEAN 81 sun Is the sig
nal for q TO ascend. obviously rain
would make u most dl-icult for 10 To
soar. both by adding 60 The weight %
~ body from the moisture caught in
tie feathers and by woiiiuE The webs
Of the plnicns. 80 the lark only SCARS Doe
The dry as "a rule 10 j. Dup 81 tie most
sensitive and best 81 natures weather
gauges. for when tie lnrk~ begin 90
sing ID is almost certain fLat rain lss
ernsed Tor some time. Do rH fHr the
drv. n is fho rnak lark which sings.
william Cd'i1pft noted fhaf one v-s
Iuet soaring ard l's-Irr.-L fu sing