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The Sea Lark. Charadrius. 



Numb. LXXX. 



ITS Length from the point of the Bill to the end of the Tall is eight Inches ; Breadth, 

 when the Wings are extended, one Foot three Inches and a quarter ; Weight one 

 Ounce thirteen Drams ; a Line of Black compafTes the Baie of the upper Bill j this black 

 Line from the Corners of the Mouth is produced round the Eyes as far as the Ears, and 

 then turns up and pafTes crofs the middle of the Head, encompaffing a broad Bed or 

 Fillet of white drawn from the inner Corner of one Eye to the inner Corner of the 

 jother. The hinder part of the Head is afh Colour'd ; the Chin white } the Neck encom- 

 pafled by a double Ring or Collar ; the upper one white, which underneath reaches as 

 far as the Bill, and under the Chin is dilated almoft to the Eyes j the lower black and pretty 

 'broad: The Back and leiTer covert Feathers of the Wings are of a brownifh afh Colour; 

 ihe Breaft and Belly white. 



The outermoft of the Quill-Feathers of the Wings is black, on the middle of the 

 Shaft only fpotted with white, which Colour fpreads it felf gradually and continually 

 more and more in the following Feathers, infomuch that the twentieth and twenty firft 

 are wholly white; thofe next the Body are of the fame Colour with the Back ; the Fea- 

 thers of the fecond Row have white Tips, excepting the foremoft or outermoft. The 

 outermoft Feathers of the Tail on each Side are white, as alfo the tip and exterior half 

 of the next; of the three following only the Tips: The two middlemoft are of the fame 

 Colour with the Back or a little darker: The Tail is two Inches and a half long, made 

 up of twelve Feathers, of which the two outermoft are the longeft j the reft of the in- 

 terior Feathers fhorter in degrees. 



The Bill is fhort, fcarce an Inch long ; the upper Mandible a little longer and fome- 

 what crooked, of two Colours in fome and in others black; the Tongue is not divided; 

 the Eyes hazel colour'd: The Legs and Feet of a pale orange Colour; the Claws black; 

 it wants the back Toe; the outermoft of the fore Toes is join'd to the middlemoft by a 

 Membrane reaching to the firft Joint : The Stomach hath not very thick Mufcles, in it, 

 when diffeded, was found Beetles ; the Gall-Bladder is large. 



It build* on the Sea-Rocks, making its Neft of Grafs, Straws, and Stalks of Plants; 

 its Eggs are of a grecnifh Colour fpotted with brown, all the blue end being dufky. It 

 runs very fwiftly on the Shoars, and makes ftiort Flights, finging or crying continually 

 as it flies. It is with us in England every where very common upon the Sea-Coafts ; it 

 is alfo about the Lake of Geneva, and on the Banks of the River Trent not far from 

 Nottingha}!!. 



This Bird is the very fame which Marggravius defcribes Book V. Chap. 5. by the 

 Name of Matnitui, as he faith the BraJiUans call it, as will clearly appear to him that 

 {hall but compare them together ; fo that it feems there are fome Birds common to Eu- 

 rope, and even to the Southern Parts of America. Leonard Baltner defcribes and pi(5ture$ 

 two forts of this Bird ; perchance his lelTer kind is that which the JVelch call Goligod 

 find fay is like a Sea-Lark, but lefs. 



The 



