The Lark.] OF ORKNEY. . 65 



GENUS XII. THE LARK. 



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

 nostrils covered with feathers and bristles ; tongue 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. Om. 203. Rail Syn. Av. 69. Lin. Sys. 287. Brit. 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 riser- with the lark is a proverbial expression, as old as 

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



* Vide EC. chap. xii. v, 4. 

 I 



