Clafs II.] B I 
web-footed, will dart itfelf after them quite under 
water. The neft is conftru£led in a curious manner, 
of hay and fibres of roots, and lined with dead oak 
leaves, having a portico, or grand entrance made 
with green mofs. 
Its weight is two ounces and a half: the length 
feven inches one quarter: the breadth eleven : 
the bill is narrow, and compreffed fideways : the 
eyelids are white : the head, cheeks, and hind 
part of the neck are dufky, mixed with ruft co¬ 
lor : the back, coverts of the wings, and of the 
R D S. 93 
tail alfo dufky, edged with bluifh afh color : the 
throat and breaft white : the belly ferruginous, 
vent feathers a deep afh-color : the legs are of a 
pale blue before, black behind : the tail fhort and 
black, which it often flirts up, as it is fitting. 
Thefe are all the birds of this genus that can 
clame a place in this work. The rofe colored 
ouzel. TViL orn. 194. Edw . 20. a foreign bird, 
has been fhot at Norwood near London ; for its 
hiftory we refer our readers to the authors we cite. 
GENUS XVII. The STARE. 
SPECIES I. The 
Stare, or Starling. Wil. orn. 196. 
Raii fyn. av. 67. 
BriJJon av. II. 439. 
T H O’ this very common bird is fo well 
known as not to require any defcription, 
yet it merits a figure, on two accounts ; 
firft, for the great beauty of its varied refplendent 
plumage 5 and again, as it is the only one of its 
genus: to point out to our countrymen the beauty 
as well as fpecifc differences of the animals, be¬ 
ing one end of this work. The flare breeds in 
hollow trees, eaves of houfes, towers, ruins, cliffs, 
Stare. Plate P. 2. Fig 1. 
Sturnus. Gefner av. 746. 
Sturnus vulgaris. Lin. fyft. 167. 
and often in high rocks over the fea, fuch as thofe 
of the IJle of Weight. It lays four or five eggs, 
of a pale greenifh afh color ; and makes its neft of 
ftraw, fmall fibres of roots, and the like. In 
winter flares affemble in vaft flocks, they feed on 
worms and infers. Their flefh is fo remarkable 
bitter as to be fcarce eatable ; they are very docil 
birds $ and may be taught to fpeak. 
GENUS XVIII. LARKS. 
SPECIES I. 
Common field lark, or fkylark. 
lVil. orn. 203. 
Rail Jyn. av. 69. 
Brifon av. III. 335 * 
T H I S is the only bird that lings as he 
flies; railing its note as it fears, and 
lowering it till it quite dies away as it 
defeends. It will often foar to that height that we 
are charmed with the mufic when we lofe fight 
of the fongfter. It continues its harmony feveral 
The Skylark. 
Alauda fine crifta. Gefner av. 7 8. 
Alauda arvenfis. Lin. fyft. 165. 
Alauda coelipeta. Klein\ fern. Tab. 
15. f. 1. 
months, beginning early in the fpring, on pairing. 
In the winter they affemble in vaft flocks, grow 
very fat, and are taken in great numbers for our 
tables. They build their neft on the ground, 
beneath fome clod ; forming it of hay, dry fibres, 
&c. and lay four or five eggs. 
Z SPECIES 
