WARBLERS 45 



By some authors the Stonechats are separated 

 from the Wheatears {Saxicola) and placed in the 

 genus Pratincola of Koch. I am content, how- 

 ever, to leave them in the genus Saxicola of 

 Bechstein, following Prof. Newton in his edition 

 of Yarrell's work. 



WHINCHAT. Saxicola ruhetra (Linnaeus). PL 7, figs. 

 14, 15. Length, 5 in. ; wing, 3 in, ; tarsus, 1 in. 



A summer migrant frequenting meadows ; less 

 common in Ireland than in other parts of the British 

 Islands, and not found in Orkney or Shetland. 



WHEATEAR. Saxicola osnanthe (Linnaeus). PI. 7, figs. 

 11, 12, 12a. Length, 6 in.; wing, 3*75 in.; tarsus, 

 1-1 in. 



A summer migrant, frequenting the downs and 

 warrens both inland and by the sea. A few occa- 

 sionally remain the winter in England — as noticed 

 by Gilbert White, Letter xiii. to Pennant — and 

 Scotland, but not in Ireland. 



One of the good things of Sussex enumerated by 

 John Ray in his "English Proverbs" (ed. 1742, p. 

 262) was a Bourne Wheatear, by which he intended 

 a Wheatear taken on the downs near Eastbourne by 

 a device formerly much in vogue with shepherds on 

 the South Downs. See an illustrated article by the 

 present writer, entitled, " The Wheatear on the 

 South Downs," in The Field, July 28, 1894, in which 

 also will be found some remarks on the derivation 

 of the name "Wheatear." 



