ORDER PASSERES. 195 



pleasure, is extremely useful for the purposes of consultation. 

 Actuated by similar views, we have endeavoured to render 

 our book worthy of general approbation, by combining close 

 description with matter more popular and entertaining ; and, 

 by separating the two departments, we trust to have succeeded 

 better in our object. In the latter part we have, in general, 

 rather avoided minute description ; but as in the " Regne 

 Animal" itself the descriptions, in consequence of the original 

 plan of that work, are often purposely imperfect, it is necessary, 

 occasionally, to attempt to supply such deficiencies in the 

 present portion of our own. To our author's account, there- 

 fore, of this lark, we beg to add the following particulars. 



The length of the sky-lark is usually about six inches ten 

 lines from the extremity of the bill to that of the tail ; the 

 extended wings, two inches and a half, and in a state of 

 repose, they reach to two-thirds of the tail ; the twelve quills 

 of the latter are two inches nine lines, with the exception of 

 the middle ones, which being a little shorter than the lateral, 

 render the tail slightly forked. The claw of the posterior 

 toe is sometimes nearly two inches long ; it appears longer in 

 proportion to the age of the bird ; for in a bird of eighteen 

 months old, it is usually no more than six lines ; of the three 

 anterior toes the lateral are slightly arched, while the middle 

 one is straight. 



A mixture of blackish and of gray, tinted with red and 

 dirty white, constitute, properly speaking, the colour of the 

 upper plumage of the sky-lark. A narrow band of reddish 

 white passes above the eyes, on each side of the head ; the 

 throat is white ; the fore part of the neck and all the imder 

 parts of the body, reddish white, with longitudinal blackish 

 spots. The small upper wing-coverts are gray, tinted with 

 reddish, and bordered with white ; the large coverts, the 

 most remote from the body, have a fawn-coloured border, 



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