ALA 



ALA 



wagtail and tit-larl:. Tt inluibits licaths Rr.d uncultivated 

 tra'^'i, and i'raiiiciitly tlic oat-ftubblc, after the corn is 

 reaped, where birds of tliis fj)ccies {jathcr together in numc- 

 TitHi flocks. In fpriiip, the male perches to difcovtr or to 

 woo his inr.te, and fomclinies he mouiils into tiie air, ling- 

 jng with all liis iniirht, and then defcends quickly to pair 

 on the gioiuid. When a perfon approaehea the neil, tlie 

 female betrays her fear by her cries; \\liercas, other larks 

 are iilcnt and miinovcd, when danger is r.ppiehended. They 

 make their nell dole to the ground, fonutimes in fur/.e- 

 bulhes, ami form it of mofs, lined with ilraw and horfe- 

 hair. The egg is half the fize of that of the fl;y-!ark, 

 which it refeinbles, and its tints are lighter. Where the 

 yo\uig males arc reared for the fake of their fong, they re- 

 quire great attention. The cage muft be covered with a 

 green cloth, little light be admitted, and plenty of ant's 

 eggs muft be provided. By degrees bruifed hen-.p-feeJ, 

 mixed with flour and yolk-i of eggs, may be fubllitvited. 

 The meadow larks are caught like tjie (l<y larks, with the 

 drag-net, and alio with lim; twigs, placed in th.e trees which 

 they h?.unt. They afTociatc with tlie fii'ches ; and both 

 arrive and depart with tliefe. Tliey are fjiuid in Italy, 

 Germany, England, Sweden, 5fc. They live on finall feeds 

 and infefls : and their flelli, wisen fat, is excellent. Tlie 

 meadow-lark of I'litain difiers from that of Linna:us ; as 

 in that of the latter, all the quills of the tail, except the 

 two middle o.ies, are white from their oiigin to halt their 

 length, but in that of the former, the two oiitenroll quills 

 only are white. Of this fpecies there is a variety, viz. the 

 fphwlelta. 



y. A. trivia/is. A.. /cj>!aria o( llrinon, Jp.'^o/a /. aiit/.>us of 

 Aldrovand, L'alovtlte p'lpi of Buffon, XXm: f 'mil lark of Ray 

 and Willughby, the pip! l lark of Albin, ihc -^iii/hoppcr wcr- 

 ILr of Lathim, is dillinguilhed by brown lail-quills, the 

 outermoft half white, the fecond white at its v, ed,;e-i:ke tip, 

 with- a double whitiih line on the wings. The German 

 c-phhet pifp, and the Englidi pifipif, formed from the l\,atin 

 pipio, which fignifies to utter a feeble cry like ch.icken,-;, al- 

 ludes to the fibilous notes of this bird. Its cry, efpeeially 

 in winter, is like that of the graihopper, but llronger and 

 fhriller, and it utters this, both when perched on the tallell 

 branches among the bufnes, and when it is on the wing. 

 Its tones are foft, harmonious and clear. This little bird 

 bi:ilds its neft in folitary fpots, concealed imder a turf, and 

 its young are frequently a prey to the adders. It lays five 

 eggs, of a light grafs-green coloiu-, thinly fprinkled with 

 deeper coloured fpecks. The grafliopper larks appear in 

 England about the middle of Sejiteniber, and great numbers 

 of them are caught in the environs of London. They are 

 found in Sweden and Germany, as well as in England ; 

 they frequent the heaths and plains, and flutter at a mode- 

 rate height ; they chiefly feed, as the flender form of their 

 bilj indicates, on inleCts and Imall feeds, and from the dimi- 

 nutive fize of this bird, being about five inches and a half 

 long, it maybe inferred, that it is not long-lived. 



6. A. crijlata, KopuiaXo; y.a^n ix'^ate., i. e. the helmet -lark 

 having a creft of Ariftotle ; the y.ihrita of Pliny and gale- 

 ritiii of Varro ; A. crijlnla of Brilion, A. cnjlata major of 

 Ray, Aldrovand, and Gefncr, Ird'ila capeUuta of Olina, le 

 eochevh of Buffon, lie'idclercbeoi the Germans, and crcjltd lark 

 of Willughby, Albin and Latham, is diflinguiflicd by black 

 tail-quills, the two outermoll white at their exterior edge, 

 its head crefted, and its feet black. Its length is about fix 

 inches and three quarters. It lives in the mcadpws and 

 fields, on the fides of ditches and the backs of furrows ; it 

 is often feen at the iriargin of water, and on the high roads. 



rarely in the (l<irt£ of woods, perched on a tree, and fon-e- 

 times on the tops of lioufes, and i^f abbey?, &c. This lark, 

 though not fo common as the Iky-Iark, is iound in moll 

 parts of Europe, in Italy, France, Gciinany, Pol.md, Den- 

 mark, Uulfia, Scotland; and does not chu-ge its abode in 

 winter. The fyng of the males is loud, and yet n.cllow ar.d 

 pleafant : ard their warbling is ulually acconpauicd with a 

 quivering of the wings. 'I'liev arc the full to hail the re- 

 turn of Ipriiig, and the dawn of tlie morning, and they lon^c- 

 tinifs warble in tlie i.ight ; being animated l.y tine Wiatlier, 

 but depreffed and liienced by clouds ai d rain : and tliev 

 generally fiiig till the end of September, 'i'lie male is dil- 

 tinguifhexl, not only by the excellence of hi': warble, but by 

 the flrength of his bill, the bulk ol his head, and by u large 

 portion of black on his breall. The female condrn^ts her 

 nctb like the common lark, but often near the highways ;- 

 file lays four or five eggs, which are afli-colourcd, with nu- 

 merous dingy brown fpots, ;uid takes little concern in 

 hatching them ; but when the young are excluded, file pro- 

 vides tor them till they are flown. They are laid to breed 

 twice in the year. They are ealily reared, but cannot be 

 fupported in a cage, without difficulty, for a whole year : 

 their beil food i:. ant's eggs, ox and fhecp's hearts miiicej, 

 and bruifed hemp-feed and millet. The proper leafon for 

 raifing thefe birds is autumn ; and great numbers are then 

 caught in a plum]) Hate on the verge of the forefls. Tlu-y 

 may be decoyed by the call, and thus dilfcr from ll<y-larkr. ; 

 bcfides, they never confort in flocks ; their plumage is lefs 

 varied and more white ; tlii: bill longer, the tail and wings 

 fliorter ; they do not mount fo high in the air, are lefs able 

 to itruggle with the \7ind, and ret\;ni fooner to the ground. 

 In other refpecfs the two fpecies are alike. 



The creited I-ark is the only one that may be inflrufted in 

 a month ; it learns many airs perfectly, which it repeats 

 without confufion, and retains nothing of its native warble ; 

 and in thefe particulars it is fuperlor to the canary. 



7. A. rufn, I'ylluuettenrAr a'ltos fauve oi^uKov\,\.\ie rtifout 

 backed lark of Latham, is fpecifically diflinguiflied by its black- 

 ifli brown colour ; its neck and back rufous-orange, the tail- 

 quills rufous at their outward margin, the lelfer and middle 

 coverts of the wings blickifh and fulvous, or of a deep yellow 

 at their margin. Its length is fcarccly five inches, is much 

 fmaller than the commcm fl;y-lark, and fmind at Buenos- 

 Ayres. BulFoii obfcrving its plumage to exhibit fo ilriking 

 a refemblance to that of the Iky-lark, confiders it as a variety 

 of that fpecies. 



8. A. cap^rfis, A. capitis bonitfpei of Briffon, la cravate 

 janne 01: calandre du cap di hannc cfperance of Buifon, cape lark 



of L;'thaii3, has its three lateral tail-quills tlpt with white, 

 its throat yellow, margined with black, and its eyebrows 

 yclhHV. Its length is eight inches, and it is found at the 

 Cape of Good Hope. 



9. A. calundra, A. non cri^ata major and tetraoparva o( 

 Gefncr, calandre of Buffon, calavdra of other writers, ta- 

 laiidrt lark of Latham, is fpcciticaliy dcfcribed as having it<l 

 ou'erinoll tail-quill externally altogether white, the fecond 

 and third tipt with white, and a brown flripe on the breaft. 

 This bird is mentioned by Oppian in the fecond century of 

 the Chrirtian Tlira, under the appellation of KaXxn^a ; and 

 he defcribes the bed method of catching it, fincc iccom- 

 mended by Olina, which is to fpread a net near the brook 

 to which it ufuaily reforts to drink. It is larger than tht 

 fl<y-lark, its length being feven and one-fourth inches, and 

 its b.ll flronger and fhorter : in other refpefts it exacftly rc- 

 femll.'s the common lark. Its warble is more fonorous, but 

 not kfs pkafant ; fo that in Italy a perfon who fings well is 



complunented 



