354 SKYLARK. Class II. 



edged with white, that of the others with reddifh 

 brown : the upper part of the bread yellow fpotted 

 with black : the lower part of the body of a pale 

 yellow : the exterior web, and half of the inte- 

 rior web next to the fhaft of the firft feather of the 

 tail are white ; of the fecond only the exterior web; 

 the reft of thofe feathers dufky, the others are 

 dufky edged with red ; thofe in the middle deep- 

 ly fo, the reft very flightly : the legs dufky : foles 

 of the feet yellow: the hind claw very long and 

 ftrait. 



This and the wood lark are the only birds that 

 fing as they fly; this raifing its note as it foars, and 

 lowering it till it quite dies away as it defcends. 

 It will often foar to fuch a height, that we are 

 charmed with the mufic when we lofe fight of the 

 fongfter ; it alfo begins its fong before the earli- 

 eft dawn. Milton, in his Allegro, moft beautifully 

 expreffes thefe circumftances : and Bp. Newton ob- 

 ferves, that the beautifull fcene that Milton ex- 

 hibits of rural chearfulnefs, at the fame time gives 

 us a fine pidure of the regularity of his life, and 

 the innocency of his own mind; thus he de- 

 fcribes himfelf as in a fituation 



To hear the lark begin his flight. 

 And finging llartle the dull night. 

 From his watch tower in the fkies, 

 'Till the dappled dawn doth rife. 



It 



