464 SKY LARK. 



toe, seem to indciate a habit unusual in the gull tribe, which gene- 

 rally swallow their prey whole. It is reasonable, however, to conclude, 

 from the great strength and semicircular shape of the inner claw, that 

 this bird frequently holds its prey under its feet, and tears it in 

 pieces.* 



It prefers the colder climates ; is common in Norway and Iceland ; 

 and also found in the southern hemisphere in several of the higher 

 latitudes ; has been met with at Falkland island, and particularly at 

 Port Egmont, where they were called, by our circumnavigators, Port 

 Egmont Hens. 



SKY LARK (Alauda arvensis, Linnjeus.) 



*Alauda arvensis, Linn. Syst. p. 287. 1. — Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 791. sp. 1. — Lath. Ind. 

 Orn. 2. p. 491. 1.— Alauda vulgaris, Raii, Syn. p. 69. A. 1.— Will. p. 149. t. 

 40.— Briss. 3. p. 335. 1 .— L'Aloutte ordinaire, Buff. Ois. 5. p. 1. t. 1.— Ib. pi. 



Enl. 363. f. 1.— Alouette des champs, Temm. Man. d'Orn. 1. p. 281 Feld 



Lcrche, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 3. p. 755 Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 1. p. 260. 



—Frisch, t. 15. f. 1 — Sky Lark, Br. Zool. 1. No. 136.— Arct. Zool. 2. p. 394. 

 A. — Lewin's Br. Birds, 3. t. 89. — Lath. Syn. 4. p. 368. 1.— Albin, 1. t. 41.— 

 Wale. Syn. t. 189. — Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 77 .—Low's Fauna Oread, p. 65. — 

 Bewick's Br. Birds, 1. p. t. 178. — Common Field, or Sky Lark, Will. (Angl.) 

 p. 203 Field Lark, Flem. Br. Anim. p. 79 Selby, pi. 50. fig. 1. p. 221.* 



Provincial. — Lavrock. Leverock. 



The length of this species is seven inches ; bill dusky ; the base of 

 the upper mandible yellowish ; the feathers on the top of the head are 

 dusky, bordered with rufous-brown ; they are rather long, and erectable 

 in form of a short crest ; the hind part is plain, inclining to ash-colour ; 

 on the upper parts of the body the feathers are reddish brown, darker 

 in their middle, their edges pale ; the under parts are dirty buff-colour, 

 darkest on the neck and breast, which parts are streaked with dusky ; 

 quills brown, lighter on the outer webs and tips ; the tail is dusky 

 brown, the two middle feathers darkest, with light rufous margins ; the 

 outer feather is white on the outer web and tip of the inner ; the 

 second feather white on the outer web only ; the third is inclining to 

 white on the margin of the outer web ; legs dusky in old birds, but 

 lighter in young ; claws dusky ; the hind one very long and strait. 



This bird is common in the greater parts of this kingdom, but most 

 plentiful in the more open and highest cultivated situations abounding 

 with corn, and rarely seen on the extended moors at a distance from 

 arable land. The nest is placed on the ground, amongst grass or corn ; 

 it is formed of dry grass and other vegetable stalks, lined with fine dry 

 grass. 



* According to some accounts, it exibits no little skill in the art of 

 mining and draining, under certain circumstances, in the locality chosen 

 for its nest ; and though my own observation would lead me to think 



