L A R 
a deeper brown colour; but more particularly by 
the length of the heel or hind-claw, which has 
fometimes been found to meafure two inches. 
This bird poffeffes the faculty of erefting the plu- 
mage on the top of it's head at pleafure. 
The Sky-Lark and the Wood-Lark are the 
only birds that fing as they fly. The former be- 
gins it's fong before the earlieft dawn : this circum- 
Sance has frequently given rife to the mofc delight- 
ful fenfations, as well as the moft pleaHng poetical 
imagery; nor is there perhaps any thing in nature 
more agreeable, than to behold the Lark warbling 
on the wino-, and to hear it raifing it's notes as it 
foars, till it feems loft in the immenfe heights above 
US; the drains ftill continuing, though the bird has 
difappeared. To fee it afterwards defcending with 
a fwell as it leaves the clouds, and finking gra- 
dually as it approaclies it's neft-, the fpot where all 
it's delights are centered, is indeed pleafing beyond 
expreffion. 
The Lark builds it's neft on the ground, be- 
neath' fome turf, v/hich ferves at once to hide and 
fhelter it ; fometimes in corn-nelds ; and, at others, 
in various forts of pafturage. The female lays 
four or five brown eggs, thickly ftreaked with 
dark-coloured fpots; and generally produces her 
young about die beginning of May: while flie is 
performing the office of incubation, the male 
iifually entertains her with his fongs; and though 
he rifes to an imperceptible height, never once 
lofes fight, in afcending or defcending, either of 
his beloved partner or the neft:. This harmony, 
v/hich begins early in the fpring after pairing, con- 
tinues for feveral months. In winter, when the 
fongs of thefe birds forfake them, they affemble 
in vaft flocks, grow very fat, and are taken in 
great num.bers by the bird-catchers. 
Though the mufic of any bird in captivity pro- 
duces no very agreeable fenfation in the breaft of 
humanity, this litde creature is frequently caged 
for the fake of it's fmging. For this purpofe the 
young fhoiild be taken when about ten days old, 
or rather earlier, as they quit their nefts foon, and 
put into a fmali balket having clean fhort hay at 
the bottom; and fed with white bread and milk 
boiled to a thick confiftence, mixed with a third 
part of rape-ieed, foaked, boiled, and bruifed. 
Some give them fheeps hearts minced very fine, 
and perhaps with as good effecl^ but it is abfo- 
iutely neceffary that, during the firft week, they 
fliould be fed every two hours, and kept remark- 
ably clean. At the expiration of that time, they 
ihould be put into a large cage, with very fhort 
hay or coarfe bran at t!ie bottom, which fhpuld 
be turned or fhifted every day; and, in the fpace 
of twenty days, they generally feed themfelves. 
Their food fliould then confift of bread, eggs, and 
hemp-feed; the eggs fhould be chopped very fine, 
and mixed with an equiil quantity of hemp-feed ; 
which laft fhould be bruifed till the birds are able 
crack it themfelves. They fhould be fupplied 
with a frefh graffy turf once or twice a vreek ; and 
dry gravel fhould be fifted at the bottom of the 
cage. During the molting feafon, their food 
fliould be changed, allowing them a little meat, 
bread, egg, and hemp-feed alternately. When in- 
difpofed, a little old cheefe, a few fpiders, with a 
blade of faffron in their v/ater, has been found ex- 
tremely beneficial to them. 
Lark, Wood ; the Alauda Arborea of Lin- 
naeus. This bird meafures fix inches and a half 
in length from the tip of the bill to the extremity 
of the tall i the expanfion of the wings is twelve 
Inches and a half; and the weight is about one 
ounce and a quarter. The Wood-Lark is infe- 
rior to the Sky-Lark in fize, and is of a fhorter 
and thicker form; it's colours are more pale; and 
it's note, though not lefs f^'eet, is lefs fonorous. 
By thefe and the following chara6lers, it may eafily 
be diftinguifhed from the common kind: it 
perches on trees, and whiftles like the blackbird ; 
v/hile the Sky-Lark always fits on the ground. 
The crov/n of the head and the back are marked 
with large black fpots, edged with pale reddifh 
brown; a v/hitifh coronet of feathers iurrounds the 
head, extending from one eye to the other; the 
throat is of a yellowifli v/hite colour fpotted with 
black; the breaft is tinged with red; and the belly 
is Vv'hite. The coverts of the wings are brown 
edged v/ith a dull white; the quill-feathers are 
dufky, the firft three being white at their exterior 
edges, and the reft yellow. In the Sky-Lark, the 
firft and fecond feather of the wing are nearly of 
an equal length; but, in the Wood-Lark, the 
firft feather of the wing is fliorter than the fecond. 
The tail is black; the legs are cream-coloured; 
and the hind-claw is extremely long. Like the 
common Lark, this fpecies fings as it flies, and 
fometimes alfo exerts it's mufical faculties in the 
night. It builds on the ground like the common 
Lark, but the fpecies are far lefs numerous. The 
male is diftinguiflied from the female by his fupe- 
rior fize. 
The Wood-Lark lays four eggs : the young are 
extremely tender, and difiicult to be reared ; and 
therefore fliould not be removed from the neft till 
they are v/ell fledged, and afterwards fnould be 
kept clean and warm. The fong of this bird is 
by fome preferred to that of the nightingale; and 
in the months of May, June, and July, it is often 
miftaken for that bird, particularly when the fe- 
males are performing the office of incubation. 
In a ftate of nature, the Wood-Lark feeds on 
beetles, caterpillars, and other infefls. Apparently 
fenfible of the mielody of it's own fong, no art can 
bring it to the imitation of that of any other bird, 
unlefs it be carefully brought up from the neft; then, 
indeed, it fometimes varies it's natural ftrains. 
Lark, Tjt; the Alauda Pratenfis of Linnaeus. 
This fpecies, which frequents low marfhy places, 
like other Larks, builds it's neft on the ground; 
lays five or fix eggs of a dark brown colour; and 
produces it's young generally about the middle of 
April. It perches on trees; and has a remarkably 
fine note, greatly refembling that of the canary- 
bird. It is of an elegant and flender fhape; five 
inches and a half in length, and nine in breadth. 
The bill is black; the back and head are of a 
greenifli brown colour fpotted with black; the 
throat, and the lower part of the belly, are white; 
the breaft is yellov/, fpotted with black; the tail is 
dufl<:y; the claw on the hind-toe is very long; 
and the feet are of a pale yellow colour. The 
cock is fomewhat yellower than the hen, efpecially 
under the throat, and on the breaft and legs. 
The Tit-Lark, which is a bird of pafiage, ar- 
rives in this ifland with the nightingale about the 
end of March, and quits it about the end of Au- 
guft. When properly fed and attended, it is a 
hardy, long-lived bird. 
Lark, White. This bird is a native of the 
Lapland mountains, from v/hence it migrates into 
Sweden at the commencement of the winter fea- 
fon. It's body is fhort; it's wings are v/hice, ex- 
cept the firft outward feathers, which are black; 
and the tail and fides are alio white. Like the 
common 
