70 THESPARROWKIMD. 



The Sky-Lark bpilds its neft upon the ground, beneath foine turf 

 that ferves to hide and fhelter it. The female lays four or five eggs 

 of a duiky greyifh colour, fpotted brown; fits about fifteen days; her 

 young are foon moving from the neft; : while fhe is fitting the male ufually 

 entertains her with his finging, chiefly morning and evening; while he 

 fifes to an iixperceptible height, fiili has his lovely partner in his eye, 

 nor once lofes fight of the neft while he is afcending or defcending: 

 never perches on trees ; are often carried by firong winds many miles 

 out to fea ; often taken by being attrafled by larking-glaflTes, a kind of 

 mirror, whofe brilliancy excites thfir attention. The cuckoo often lays 

 in their neils. There is a white lark, and alio a black one. Of the tit- 

 lark we remark that it can perch upon trees, and that the female 

 fi ngs. 



The Black CAP and the Wren, though fo very diminutive, are yet 

 prized by foine for their finging : the former is called by fome the mock- 

 nightingale ; his fong lafts longer, and he is eafily and thoroughly 

 tamed : the latter is admired for the loudnefs of his note, compared 

 to the little body from whence it ififues. The wren inhabits walls, ftacks 

 of wood, barns, &c. enlivening winter with his notes; his tail always 

 ere(5b ; he hardly weighs a quarter of an ounce; lays eight or ten eggs, 

 in a round neft, which looks like only a ball of mofs, and thereby efcapes 

 notice. 



The Golden-crested Wren is among the fmalleft of birds; he 

 efcapes eafily through the meflies of a net, or the wires of a cage. Nature 

 has given him a tufr, and crown ; and as mofl: languages have called him 

 little kingi king let him be : he is (o fmall that if he now aj)pears he is 

 infi:antly invifible ; the fmalleft leaf conceals him ; the fmalleft infedls 

 (or their larva) are his food, and fmall worms, which he devours till he is 

 full ; adive and lively, weighs one hundred and twenty grains. 



OF THE 



CANARY-BIRD and FINCHES. 



^I^HOy GH, by its name, it appears that this bird came originally 



f from the Canary Ifiands, yet we now have them from Germany, 



Where they are bred in great numbers, and fold into different parts of 



I Kurope, 



