or LARK, in ornithology, a genus of birds of the order of passerine; the characters of which are these: The beak is cylindrical, fimbriated, strait; and the two mandibles or chaps are of equal size. The tongue is bifid, and the hinder claw is straight, and longer than the toe. There are nine species of the alauda.

1. Alauda-arvensis, or common sky-lark, which rises in the air almost perpendicularly, and begins to sing early in the spring, and generally leaves off about midsummer. See Plate III. fig. 2.

2. Alauda-pratinus, or tit-lark, has the two outward feathers of the wing edged with white, and frequents the meadows.

3. The arborea, or wood-lark, is a native of Europe, and is distinguished by an annular white fillet about the head.

4. The campestris, has one half of its chief feathers of the wings brown, except except two in the middle which are white, and the throat and breast are yellowish. 5. The trivialis, whose chief feathers on the tail are brown, only half of the outermost is white, and the second is white at the end, in the shape of a wedge; there is likewise a double whitish line on the wings. It is a native of Sweden, and perches on the tops of trees. 6. The cristata; the chief tail-feathers are black, but the two outermost are edged with white, and the head is crested. It is a native of Europe. 7. The spinolletta, the chief tail-feathers are black, only the outmost two are obliquely half white. It is a native of Italy. 8. The alpestris; the chief wing-feathers are half white, the throat yellow, and it has a black streak under the eyes and on the breast. It is a native of N. America. 9. The magna, is yellow on the belly, with a crooked black streak on the breast, and the three side-feathers of the tail white. It is a native of Africa and America.

ALAUDA marina, flint, or water-ouzel, in ornithology, an obsolete name of a species of the sturnus. See Sturnus.

in ichthyology, an obsolete name of a species of the blennius. See Blennius.