43 

 ALAUDA ARBOREA. 



Linn. Syst. 287. 



THE WOOD- LARK. 



PLATE XLIII. 



X he bill is black at the tip, of a dusky colour at the 

 base ; the crown of the head is of a reddish brown, 

 each feather having a dark stroke down the middle ; 

 at the base of the bill, on each side, arises a pale 

 coloured line, which passes over the eyes, and is ex- 

 tended round the head, in form of a wreath ; the back 

 part of the head, below this line, is the same colour as 

 the crown. It should be observed, that the feathers 

 above and below are separated by this line ; those on 

 the crown being longer, and forming an elegant crest, 

 at the will of the bird. In breeding time, the male 

 bird erects the crest when he sings ; not only when at 

 liberty, in his natural haunts, but at the same season 

 of the year, even when confined in a cage ; hence has 

 arisen that other fabled bird, the Lesser Crested Lark. 

 Frisch has contributed to the propagation of this error, 

 by mistakenly giving the names Heide Larche, Alauda 

 Gallanta, and Allouette Houpee, to a most accurate* 

 figure of the Woodlark. He has drawn his bird with 

 the crest half raised ; which gives so just an imitation 

 of the Woodlark in that state, that none can doubt 

 the truth of his pencil, or the error of his pen. I 

 have added the head of his figure on the bottom of 

 my plate. 



* vide Frisch's History of Birds, pi. 15. 



