Have been watching this "thread" and finally wrote an old friend who might
shed some light on the origins of "mudlark." She wrote back that "a mudlark
may mean an urchin or person who 'scrubs mud' or a race horse that runs well
in mud and also refers to a bird such as a meadowlark that lives in mucky
places. Then, too, an Australian bird that builds a mud nest."

We need an equestrian or race horse aficionado (sp?) to find a race horse that
has run well in mud?! Tried to find a reference in any of my books just for
fun but came up zilch. Maybe it's a good thing spring migration has begun?!

Murray Hansen
MurrayH at aol.com