Class II. SKY LARK. 477 



before the earliest dawn. Milton, in his Alle* 

 gro, most admirably expresses these circum- 

 stances ; and bishop Newton observes, that the 

 beautiful scene which Milton exhibits of rural 

 cheerfulness, at the same time gives us a fine 

 picture of the regularity of his life, and the in- 

 nocency of his own mind; thus he describes 

 himself as in a situation 



To hear the lark begin his flight, 

 And singing startle the dull night, 

 From his watch tower in the skies, 

 Till the dappled dawn doth rise. 



It continues its harmony several months, begin- 

 ning early in the spring, on pairing. 



In the winter larks assemble in vast flocks, 

 grow very fat, and are taken in great numbers 

 for our tables. The place where these birds are 

 caught in the greatest quantity is in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Dunstable:* the season begins about 



* " The number caught about Dunstalle, bears no propor- 

 tion to the immense multitudes met with in Germany, where 

 they are subject to excise, which, according to Keysler, pro- 

 duces six thousand dollars, (above nine hundred pounds sterling) 

 to the city of Leipsic yearly. The duty at Leipsic is a groisch, 

 (about 2\d.) for every sixty birds, and has been known to produce 

 frequently twelve thousand crowns. The country about Nitrem- 

 lurg, Merselurg, Halle, and other parts furnish proportional 

 numbers. Larks are every where seen on the Continent and as 

 far as the Cape of Good Hope; we have also observed drawings of 

 them from India. J. L." 



