WOOD-LARK, a European lark (Lullulo arborea) closely allied to the sky-lark (q.v.), but distinguished by its smaller size, shorter tail, a distinct light streak over the eyes and cars and more distinct markings on the breast. It perches upon trees, and is found chiefly in fields near the borders of woods. Its flight is much less extensive and powerful than that of the sky-lark. The wood-lark often sings during the night, and on this account has been mis taken for the nightingale. "Its song° is de scribed as °sweet and flute-like, more melan choly than that of the sky-lark, and is generally uttered from the top of some tree or else when the bird is on the wing. It rises to some height before commencing, then ascends, sing ing, higher and higher, throwing itself from side to side, hovers and floats in the air, and when the song is ended drops with closed wings to the ground again.° It bears confinement
well, singing sweetly in the cage, and even breeding easily there or in an aviary; hence it is constantly caught and kept. The nest is gen erally built under bushes. The eggs are five in number, of a dusky color, spotted with deep brown spots.
one of the little isopod crustaceans (see Isorova) of the family Oni seidre, which abound underneath logs and in decaying stumps in the woods, and which, when touched, curl up for protection like armadillos. They are numerous and hardy, the sexes are distinct, and the young arc hatched from the eggs in their full form, passing through no metamorphoses. The names pill bug, arma dillo and sow bug are sometimes applied to the wood-louse.
the red-backed mouse (q.v.). In England the long-tailed field-mouse (Mus. syltuticus) is so called.