The Lark.-] OF ORKNEY. 65 



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GENUS XIL— THE LARK. 



Gen. Char. — Bill strait, slender, bending a little towards the end, sharp painted ; 

 nostrils covered with feathers and bristles ; tongne cloven at the end : toes di- 

 vided to the origin ; claw of the back-toe very long, and either straight, or very 

 little bent. 



Species 1. — The Sky-Lark. 



Wil. Orn. 203. Rail Syn. Av. 69. Lin. %«. 287. Brif. Zool. 233. Brit. 



Zool. Illus. tab. 62. 



Though we cannot boast with more fortunate climates of 

 the music of the nightingale, or the beauty of others of the 

 feathered race, we are in great measure kept in countenance 

 by the very early carols of this rural songster. 



The lark begins to sing with us on the first days of Febru- 

 ary, and continues most part of the summer, soaring very high, 

 generally near its mate, whose toil of brooding is thus allevi- 

 ated, and her spirits cheered with the voice of love. 



To rise with the lark is a proverbial expression, as old as 

 Solomon*; and, indeed, one must bte an early riser who 



* Vide Ec. chap. xii. v. 4. 



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