defcription ; round the head is a kind of wreath, of a paler colour,
at leaft from eye to eye backwards, which is very confpi-
cuous j indeed in the Sky-lark there is the appearance of fuch
an one, but in a much lefs degree: in the Wood-lark the firft
quill feather is lhorter than the fecond, but in the Sky-lark it is
nearly equal. The legs in the IVood-lark are more inclined to
fiefh-colour, and the hind claw, though very long, is fomewhat
incurvated.
This bird is not in near fo great plenty as the firft-defcribed,
and differs from it much in refpeft to manners : it perches upon
trees, which the other is never known to do; like that, it fings
as it flies, but is likewife accuftomed to ling in the nights, and
often fo like the Nightingale as to be miftaken for that bird;
not but it will alfo ling while perched on a branch. It builds
on the ground, laying five dulky eggs, blotched with brown,
moll: fo at the biggeft end, The neft compofed, like that of the
laft, of dried grafs, &c. lined with foft hair. It builds very
early, the young ones, in fome feafons, being ready to fly before
the end of March ■, in this having much the ftart of the Skylark,
which does not begin to build till April. Both of them
make two nefts in a year.
They are fuppofed to be a general inhabitant throughout
Europe, as the different fynonyms will teftify. It was met with
by our late voyagers at Kamtfchatka *.
* EUis*4 Nor. vol. ii. p. 229..
L’Alouette
V Alouette d’Italie, Sri/ 1 orn. iiü. 355. N° 7.
La Girole, Eu/, oif. v. p. 47.
Giarola Aldrov. Eaii Syn. p. 70. N° 10.— Will. orn. p. 209. § 9.
T E N G T H eight inches. The bill red : the upper parts of
the plumage chefnut brown, but the edge of each feather of
a reddilh white, efpecially thofe which furround the hind head,
which inclines much to white : breaft, belly, and fides, white:
eight of the middle tail feathers are chefnut brown, with paler
edges ; the laft but one on each fide the fame, with a white tip ;
and the outer one quite white : the legs are flelh-coloured, and
the claws whitilh.
Inhabits Italy, according to Brijfon j who fays it had the appearance
of a young bird.
Ray obferves, that, except in the colour of the tail feathers, it
greatly refembled the Wood-lark; and I much fufpect it to be a
mere variety of that bird.
Buffon * mentions a bird being Ihot at Bologne, about the end
of the month of May, which anfwered to the above defcription.
The outer tail feather in this was white, and the next half white
from the tip : the hind claw half an inch long, and curved only
at the point.
* Jfijl. des oif. v, p. 4?.
4-
ITALIAN L.
D escription.
Plage.
Alau da