THE SEA-LARK. 285 



Remarks by a Portuguese traveller. 



This, by the description he gives,, seems to be 

 the bird before described ; but it is the misfor- 

 tune of a great many travellers riot only to mis- 

 take the different species, by some little variati- 

 ons that appear either in colour or size of the 

 birds in climates a considerable distance from 

 each other, but to give us their description in 

 such terms, as are very often difficult to be 

 understood. 



THE SEA- LARK 



IS a small bird that does not weigh more than 

 two ounces, whose bill is short in comparison of 

 other water-fowls, the upper part of which is en- 

 compassed with a black line, which spreads itself 

 round the eyes, and passes across the middle of 

 the head, where it encircles a fillet or broad bed 

 of white, which runs from the inner corner of 

 one eye to the other; the inner part of the throat 

 is white, and round the neck there runs a fine 

 collar, or double ring, the upper part of which is 

 white, the lower part pretty broad and black, the 

 rest of the body is of a dark ash-colour, except 

 the breast and belly, which are white. The legs 

 and feet are of an orange colour, the claws black, 

 the tail about two inches long. 



It builds its nest of grass, straw, and stalks of 

 plants, upon the sea rocks where it lays greenish- 

 coloured eggs, with brown spots upon them. It 

 commonly makes but short flights, but -runs ex- 



