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The Crefled Lark.
Numb.. L I i ;
IT is bigger than a Sky Lark, hath a greater and longer Bill, almoft
an Inch long, measuring from the Point to the Angles of the
Mouth; the upper Chap dusky, the lower whitiih. The Tongue is
broad and fomewhat cloven; the Irides o f the Eyes are o f a cinereous
hazel Colour; the Creft-Feathers are blacker than the reft, and almoft
an Inch long, which he can ere£t or lower at pleafure; the Back
is more cinereous and lefler fpotted than in the common Lark, the
Rump almoft wholly deftitute of Spots.
The prime Feathers of the Wings are in number eighteen, beiides the
outmoft very fhort and fmall one, the outward Vane of the firft Pinion
Feather is of a dirty white, inclining to yellow, the reft are not fo black
as in the common Lark, and have fome mixture of a pale red even in
their lower part; the Breaft and Belly are white, with a dafh o f yellow
; the Throat fpotted as in the common Lark; The Tail is two Inches
and a quarter long, made up of twelve Feathers, the two outmoft of
which have their exterior Borders white, with a dafh of red, the reft
black, the third and fourth are wholly black; the fifth and fixth of the
fame Colour o f the Body.
It differs from the common Larky firft in Bignefs, fecondly in the
Creft, thirdly in the Colour o f the Back, which is lefs fpotted, and not
fo beautiful, fourthly the Tail not fo long, fifthly in that it foars not fo
much in the Air, and when it mounts up ftays not fo long there, fixthly
that it flies not in Flocks as they do, laftly (as Aldrovandus, obferves)
it is frequently feen about the Banks o f Lakes and Rivers.
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