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O R D. III. GEN. VIII. L A R K. 



SPE. II. SKY LARK. 



PI. 86. 



Alauda arvenfis. Lin. Syft. I. p. 287. 

 L'Alouette. Brif. Orn. III. p. 23S- 



The beak of this bird is horn colour : eyes dark brown : creft brown, dark- 

 eft next the bill, with black roundilh markings on each feather : neck and 

 moulders greyifh brown : back brown : rump paler : the neck, moulders, and 

 back, are thickly fet with dark oblong dames : throat and breaft pale yellowiih 

 brown, with black dallies : belly dull white : wing coverts dark brown, with 

 pale yellowifh edges : middle tail feathers black, the next edged with white, the 

 two outer ones white : quills dull black : legs pale brown ; hind claw very long 

 and ftraight. 



This fpecies may be readily diftinguifhed from the reft of this genus by the 

 long tail. It makes its neft in April, in fields of green wheat or clover, and 

 fometimes in tufts of high grafs in meadows, and lays four dark coloured eggs. 

 It feeds on grain, infects, green clover, and turnips. This and the greater 

 crefted lark affemble together in prodigious flocks in hard winters $ the other 

 larks colled in flights each fpecies by themfelves. It is the moft valuable of 

 this genus for its melodious and powerful tones : it rifes from the ground break- 

 ing forth in fong, and continues it louder and ftronger, until it foars nearly out 

 of fight, and then gradually decreafes the mufical notes as it returns to the 

 earth again. 



For the egg, fee PJ. XX. Fig. 2. 



