The Wood Lark. Alavda Silvcftris.
Numb. X L I I . .
" f T S W e ig h t is one Ounce and five Drams s Length, from theTip o f the Bill to the End o f theTail, 1 is fix Inches • Diftance between the Wings, when extended, is twelve Inches; it is leffer and
M W « © ! the f i l l « ftte ig h t (lender and fharp
o f the Lark Kind, abovehalf an Inch long, fomewhat flat, o f a dufky
and cloven, the hides o f its Eyes Hazel-coloured,
inclining to Flefli-Colour 5 its Claws dusky, that o f the back Toe longeft. the outmoft fore Toe
Slicks to the Middle below, near the Divarication. .
T he Bread and Belly are o f a pale yellowifh Hair Colour, faintly fpotted with black in the m dd e
Parts o f the Feathers 3 the Back and Head are party-coloured o f black and redifh yellow, the Middle
o f each Feather being fpotted with black s the Neck is afh-coloured, a white Line encompafling
the Head from Eye to Eye like a Crown, or Wreath3 the Rump is o f a yellowifh red, or £*wny.
Each Wing hath eighteen prime Feathers, the outermod being much fhorter than the reft, the
next five are half an Inch longer, having their Points iharp, and their out lite: the reft
have their Points blunt and indented in the Middle, with yellow Edges } theFeatheKof theBaf-
tard Wing are dusk, with Clay-coloured Tips, and at its Root is a white Sp ot; the fmall Feathers
on the Ridge ofthe Wing are afh-coloured s the Tail is two Inches long, confiding o f twelve
Feathers, the middle ones fomething fhorter than the red, and ending in iharp Points, being between
a green and dusky Red or fulvous Colour 3 the four next on each Side had blunt Points, tipi
■with white} the outermod in Order more dusky, inclining to black. It had no C r aw ; in the Stomach
were found Beetles, Caterpillars, Gromil-feed, & c. The Stomach was provided with flrong
and thick Mufcles, the blind Gut very ih o rt: T he Gut below thefe Appendants is larger.
It is didinguifhed from the common Lark, by fitting on Trees, and flying in Companies together,
fingingas they fly with a Note n o t m u c h unlike the Blackbird i it fings efpecially in the Night,
■when it is often taken for the Nightingale in May, June and Ju ly . In warm Weather, and light
Nights, it will fing almod all Night long, but chiefly whilfl the Hens are fitting. It is comparable
to the Nightingale for finging, and by fome preferred before i t : He will drive to excel him,
i f hung in the fame Room, having a great Variety o f Notes. I t is a tender Bird, and yet breeds
the foonefl o f any in England, the young Birds being ready to fly by the middle o f March: They
build in Lays where the Grafs is rank and dry, under fome T u r f to flicker them from the Weather.
T he young Birds cannot be brought up from the Neft with all the Care that can be taken, they ei-
ther having the Cramp, or falling into a Scouring and die. There are three Seafons o f taking
Wood-Lafks 3 the fird is in June, Ju ly and Auguft, then are taken the Branchers 3 thefe fing pre-
fently, but continue not long, becaufe o f their moulting, and are very familiar Birds when taken
young s the next is in September, which is the general Flight time, they then roving from one Country
to another. Theyoung Birds having now moultedall their Feathers, you canhardly didinguifh
them from the old ones: Thefe Birds prove good, i f they are well kept all Winter, otherwife
they will be loufie and quite fpoiled. They begin to fing after Spring, and continue till July. The
lad and bed Seafon, is in the Beginning o f January, and latter End o f February, which is theTime
o f Pairing themfelves, and parting with their lad Brood. Thefe Birds are commonly the bed provided
they are not wild and buckifh, for thofe Birds feldom prove good 3 they fing in a few Days after
they are taken, and are more perfeft in their Song than thofe takenat other Seafons. They are fed after
the fame Manner as the Sky Lark, changing their Water three Times a Week, giving them a firefb
T u r f o f three leav’d Grafs two or three Days in a Week in the Spring, putting red fine fifted Gravel
in the Bottom of the Cage, andfhiftingit twice a Week, otherwife it will be fubjeit to clog
its Feet with the Dung. Let not its Meat be too dale', dry or mouldy 3 for your Birds fo fed will
never thrive. Feed him all the Time o f his Song with fome^Shcep s Heart mix d with Egg» *
and Hempfeed 3 putting into his W ater two or three Slices o f Liquorice, and a little Sugar- an y,
with a Blade or two o f Saffron once a W e e k ; this makes him long winded,and lavifh in his Song.
Cock is known from theHen by the Largenefs and Length o f his Call,’ by the tall walking a 0
the Cage, and by doubling his Call as if going to rood. _ ,
1 . Their Difeafes arc the Cramp, the Remedy is keeping them clean, taking Care not to hang tne
out in the Rain, and lining their Perch with Bays. z. Giddinefs o f the Head, by too much ! « < 8
on Hempfeed, for which givethem Meal-worms, or Ants and their Eggs. 3. Loufinels and scurr,
which is helped by fmoaking their Feathers with Tobacco, and giving themfreih Sand, an .
ting them in the Sun to Balk themfelves.