306 THE SKYLAEK. 



VI. SINGING BIRDS.* 



In these birds the beak is soft, generally conical, though 

 sometimes approaching to the cylindrical form; pointed, and 

 having the upper mandible fixed. Their usual food con- 

 sists of insects, though some of them subsist partlj' on worms 

 and berries. Their nests are well built ; and the male shares 

 with the female the labour of incubation. 



[In this division it will be seen that the German naturalist 

 has included a great number of birds differing very considerably 

 in their general habits and conformation ; collectively, they are 

 fully entitled to be distinguished as " Songsters," for among them 

 are several which excel all other birds for the compass and variety 

 of their notes. We have here the whole of the genus Sylvia, 

 or soft-billed warblers, to which Mr. SWEET'S valuable obser- 

 vations were confined, and several others which have no place in 

 that genus. To some of the species, the term songster would 

 seem ill applied, as they scarcely sing at all, so that in looking at 

 the whole group, we are reminded of the words of PLINY : 

 " Secundus ordo qui in duas dividitum species, Oscines et Alites : 

 illarum generi cantus oris, his magnitude differentium dedit." 

 (B. 10. c. 42.)]. 



(A.) INDIGENOUS BIRDS, 

 TAMEABLE WHEN OLD. 



126. THE SKYLAEK. 

 Alauda Arvensis, LIN. Alouette, BUF. Die Feldlerche, BECH. 



Description. This bird is so very well known, that were it 

 not on account of its similarity in plumage to other birds of 

 the same species and for the sake of those inhabitants of large 

 towns, who may not have the opportunity of comparing it with 

 them it would scarcely be worth while to give a detailed 

 description of it. 



The Skylark is rather larger than the Tellowhammer, 

 being seven inches in length, of which the tail measures almost 

 three inches. The beak, as in all birds of this species, is soft, 

 straight, and conical. The mandibles are of the same length; 

 the upper, blackish brown, the lower, white. The iris is 

 greyish brown ; the feet also greyish brown, with a tinge of 

 yellow in spring, and somewhat less than one inch in height. 

 As is the case with all Larks, the hinder claw, or spur, is 

 longer than any of the others. The forehead and poll are 

 rusty yellow, longitudinally spotted with blackish brown; 

 * Oscines. Smavogel, BECH. 



