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The method of catching larks by lime-twigSi pra(fHfcd 

 in French Lon-ainc, is as follows. For this puipofe, 1500 

 or 2000 willow rods, about three feet, ten iuehes long, 

 Itraiglit and well fmootlicd, are provided. Tlicfc are 

 ftarpencd and flightly burnt at one end, and the fpi'.ce of 

 about a foot from the other end is covered with bird-lime. 

 The ilakes are planted in parallel rows, in a fituation wliich 

 abounds with larks ; the rows are at fuch a dillanee as to 

 admit a perfon pafilng between them ; and the (lakes are 

 fixed at the dlilai.ec of a foot from each other, and op- 

 pofite to the interval in tlie next row. The chief art 

 confills in fo pi icing them, that they fliall retain their per- 

 pendicular pofition till they arc touched, and fall imme- 

 diately upon a lark's brudiing againll them in its flight. 

 When the limed rods are planted, an oblong fquare is 

 traced, with one of its fides prefented to the ground where 

 the larks are lodged, and at each corner is erefted a flag, 

 which ferves as a mark to the fowlers, and fo-.iietiraes as a 

 lignal for their manreuvres. In Autumn, about four or 

 five o'clock in the afternoon, the company attending this 

 fport is divided into two detachments ; one is aflembled at 

 the flag on the right, and the other at that on the left ; 

 and each obferving the moll profound lllence, extends itfelf 

 in an arch, fo as to meet at the diilancc of hall" a league 

 from the front, and then form one rank, gradually clofing 

 as it advances to the rods, and thus driving the larks be- 

 fore it. About fun-fet, th.e middle of the line ought to 

 be within two or three hundred paces from the front ; and 

 this is the time when they charge : that is, they proceed 

 cautioufly, paufe or lie on the ground, rife up or puili for- 

 ward, according to the commands of their leader. Upon 

 the proper conduct of thefe manceuvres depends the fuc- 

 cefs of the fport ; for thus the larks will be enclul,rd, and 

 mounting no higher tiian three or four feet, they will rufli 

 forward and be caught among the lime-rods, and falling to 

 the ground with thefe, they may be picked up by the 

 hand. If it be not too late, a fecond line is made on the 

 oppofite fide, at the dillanee of ;o paces, which drives 

 back the larks that had efeaped ; and this is called tncii/ig 

 about. One hundred dozen of larks or more are iometimes 

 caught in one of thefe fweeps, and the fport is reckoned 

 bad when only 25 dozen ai-e taken. Although fuch num- 

 bers are taken in this way, and others delhoyed by the vo- 

 racious tribes, their fecundity is veiy great ; and they are 

 naturally long-lived, the term of their exillence being, ac- 

 cording to OUna, ten years, and as others fay, 12, 22 and 

 even 24 years. Larks abound in various parts of Germany, 

 and Keyller (Travels, vol. iv. p. 3 15.) informs us, that thofc 

 about I^eipfic, where they are very numerous, are veiy fat, 

 and have a very delicate flavour. The excife on thefe birds 

 produces 6000 dollars, or about 900/. fterling annually. 

 They are alfo taken in great numbers in the country about 

 Nanmburg, Mefeburg, and Halle. Of this fpecies there 

 are three varieties ; viz. the w/.'ife Jhy-lark, which is feldom 

 of a fiiowy white colour, but tinged with yellow or 'orown, 

 and which is chiefly tound on the northern Ihores of the 

 Baltic, in Denmark w\A Sweden, and in Norway ; and oc- 

 caiionally in the vicinity of Hlldeflitim in Lower Saxocv, 

 and in other places. A fecond variety is t'ne b'acl Jky-livh, 

 reprefented by Albin as entirely of a dull brown and rcd- 

 dilh colour, verging to black, excepting the back of the 

 head, which is of. a dun yellow, and the lower part of the 

 belly, which has feathers edged v.'ith white : the fett, toes 

 and nails, being of a dirty yellow. The fubjeft of this de- 

 fcription was caught in a meadow near Highgate, where 

 fuch birds are found. A perfcftly black lark is mentioned 

 by Maiiduit, which was caught in the plaia of Mont- 



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rouge near Paris. A third variety is the to-i^-irg^fd /tirl 

 of Latham. 



2. y/. pralenfis, or pratonim, fp'ipola alttra of Aldrovand 

 and AVillughby, ahiiiilU de pres, or l<i fai loiife of Iniifuu, 

 tit-lark of Pennant, Ray, Albin, and Lntham, iic. of 

 which the fpecilic eharatters are, that above it is grtenifli 

 brown ; its two outcrnioll tail-quiils arc externally white, 

 and it has a white line on its eyebrows. Thi'i bird is of 

 an elegant (lender Ihape ; five inches and a half long ; its 

 bill is black ; the back and head of a greenifti brown^ 

 fpottcd with b!-ek ; the throat and lower part of the 

 belly are white ; the brcall yellow, marked with oblong 

 fpots of black ; the tail is diitl-.y : the exterior feather ia 

 varied by a bar of white, which runs acrofs the end and 

 takes in the whole outmoll web ; the c!;iw on tb.c hind toe 

 is very long, and the feet yellnwilh. The male has in ge- 

 neral more yellow than the female, on the throat, brcall, 

 legs and' feet. The tit-lark is found generally in meadows 

 and low marlhy grounds ; and, like other larks, it'nnkis 

 its iicll among the grafs, and lays live or ^1% eggs ; which 

 are roundi.'h, of a duHcy red colour, with many fmall 

 fpots. While tlie female hatches, the male fits on a neigh- 

 bouring tree, and rifes at times, finging and clapping' Jiib 

 vv'ings. It feeds chiefly on the worms and inf^tls wHich it 

 finds in ncw-plouglied lands; and it will live for a long 

 time on no other food than fmall feeds. Like the wood- 

 lark, it fits on trees ; but it is fluflied at the leall noife, 

 and (hooto with a rapid flight : it has a very remarkable fine 

 note, finging in all fituations ; on trees, on the ground, 

 while it is fporting in the air, and particularly in its de- 

 fcent. This bird, and many others, fuch as the thrufll, 

 blackbird, v/i!low-wrcn, &c. become filent about Midfum- 

 mer, and refume their notes in September ; hence this in- 

 terval is the moll mute of the year's three vocal fenfons. 

 Spring, Summer and .\utumn. Perhaps the birds are in- 

 duced to fing again as the autumnal temperament rekmbkj 

 the vernal. The tit-lark inhabits England, France, Ger- 

 many, Italy, and Sweden. Albin fays, that it appears in 

 England about the beginning of April, and that it de- 

 parts about the month of September. It is faid to be 

 fond of the company of its fellows ; and when it cannot 

 get the fociety of thefe, it will intermingle with the flocks 

 of finches and linnets, whicii it meets with in its prilliige. The 

 varieties of this fpecies are the luhite lil-liiri, differing from 

 the preceding in its plumage, which is yellowifli white, 

 but yellower on the wings, with brown bill and feet, feen 

 by Aldrovand in Italy, and reckoned by Rzacynlki among 

 the birds of Poland ; and the lit-l.irL with llnck feel. ■ 



3. A. nikorcat le ciijcUcr of Uulfon, ■wood-liirk of 'Engliih. 

 writers, is fpecifically charafterifed by a white annular belt, 

 encircling its head. This bird is fmaller than the Iky-lark, 

 and of a fliorter thicker form ; the colours of the phnnage 

 are paler ; the firll feather of the wing is fliorter tlian the 

 fccoiid ; the hind claw is very long and foniewhat bent ; 

 it perches on tr;-3 ; it haunts the uncultivated trails near 

 copies, withou.t penetrating the woods, whence its name ; 

 its, fong rcfembles more the warble of the nightingale, or 

 the whiiiling of the blackbird, tb.an that of tlic (ky-lark ; 

 its note being lets fonorous and kfs varied, though not 

 Icfs f.veet ; and it is heard not only in tlie day but iu the 

 aiglit, both' when it flies and ^hen it fits on a bough. 



This bird builds on the ground, and forms its ncft on 

 the outildc with mofs, and on the inlide with dried bents, 

 lined with a few hairs, and conceals it with a turf; and the 

 fituation it feleds is ground where the grafs is rank, or 

 become brown. It l;.ys four or five eggs, which are diifliv 

 and blotched with deep brown ; its fecuirdity is inferior to 



that 



