34 The Whinchat. 



in certain localities, but absent from many districts of Scotland, and somewhat 

 local in Ireland. 



The Whinchat above is blackish brown, the feathers edged with sandy buff, 

 slightl}' redder on the upper tail-coverts ; wings dark brown, smaller coverts 

 white ; two central tail-feathers dark brown, white at base ; other tail-feathers 

 with the basal half white and the terminal half dark brown, with buff margins ; 

 a clear white superciliar}^ streak ; lores, ear-coverts and cheeks dark brown ; 

 chin white, continuous with a streak bounding the lower part of the cheek and 

 sides of neck, throat and breast reddish fawn colour, shading into buff towards 

 centre of belly; under tail-coverts also buff; bill and feet black; iris brown. 



This bird is most commonly seen on broad open commons, heathery 

 mountain slopes, pastures (whence its local name of " Grass-chat,") meadows 

 and wild briar-clad wastes ; it haunts both mountain and valley, hill and dale, 

 and wherever vast tracks of furze-covered land exist, it may be confidently 

 looked for; to this it owes its common nickname of " Fuz-chat," the only title 

 I believe, by which the London birdcatchers recognize it. In some districts it 

 is also known bj' the name "Utick" on account of its call note u-tic, u-lac or 

 u-chack. 



I first met with the Whinchat in fair numbers, about the middle of Ma}', 

 amongst the gorse bushes covering a wide expanse not far from Detling, on the 

 road from Sittingbourne to Maidstone. The birds were dotted about here and 

 tliere on the topmost spraj'S of the gorse, whence every half minute or so they 

 darted off after some insect, returning almost invariably to the same perch. 

 Every few minutes one of them would flit off, warbling softly, to some distant 

 bush, under which it would dive ; but when I imagined that its nest was there 

 concealed, and walking straight to that point, began carefull}' to seek for it, 

 I invariably found that there not only was no trace of a nest, either in or 

 under the bush, but that the mischievous bird had simply passed through an 

 opening and onwards, perchance in some new direction with the distinct purpose 

 of misleading me, or else had sought some fresh article of diet below the 

 shelter of that prickly cover. 



The Whinchat is very largel}' insectivorous, its food consisting chiefl}' of 

 insects, their larvae and spiders ; it also eats small worms, small molluscs, and 

 it has been knowu to feed upon growing corn ; it is a great friend to the 

 farmer, on account of its fondness for wireworms (the larvae of spring-back 

 beetles) ; the.se it obtains in considerable numbers in the Spring when the land 

 lies fallow ; and later, when the young turnips are opening their first leaves, it 

 is a great enemy to the destructive turnip fly. I have tried it with the turnip 



