in ornithology. See Alauda.

The lark is not only a very agreeable bird for the cage, but a very hardy one. It will live upon almost any food, so that it have once a week a fresh tuft of three-leaved grass. The sky and wood-lark differ in the time of their breeding; the former not producing her young ones till May, the latter hatching them in March. In winter, it is common to see vast flocks of sky-larks; and yet it is observed, that there are fewer of their nests found in the season than of any birds that are common among us. The sky-lark sometimes builds among corn, sometimes among high-grass, and seldom has more than three young ones at a brood, scarce ever more than four; so that the origin of the large flights we see is the more surprising. The young may be taken out of the nest at a fortnight old, and are so hardy that they will be easily brought up. The best food is sheep's heart chopped with egg; and afterwards oatmeal, bruised hempseed, and bread with a little egg among it. They should have clean land at the bottom of the cage, but they need no perches.

The common way of taking larks is in the night, with those nets which are called trammels. These are usually made of 36 yards in length, and about six yards over, with fix ribs of pack-thread, which at the ends are put upon two poles of about 16 feet long, and made lesser at each end. There are to be drawn over the ground by two men, and every five or six steps the net is made to touch the ground, otherwise it will pass over the birds without touching them, and they will escape. When they are felt to fly up against the net, it is clapped down, and then all are safe that are under it. The darkest nights are properest for this sport; and the net will not only take larks, but all other birds that root on the ground; among which are woodcocks, snipes, partridge, quails, field-fares, and several others. In the depth of winter people sometimes take great numbers of larks by nooses of horse-hair. The method is this: Take 100 or 200 yards of packthread; fasten at every fix inches a noose made of double horse-hair; at every 20 yards the line is to be pegged down to the ground, and so left ready to take them. The time to use this is when the ground is covered with snow, and the larks are to be allured to it by some white oats scattered all the way among the nooses. They must be taken away as soon as three or four are hung; otherwise the rest will be frighted; but though the others are scared away just where the sportsman comes, they will be feeding at the other end of the line, and the sport may be thus continued for a long time.