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The name of this bird may have been derived either from the season 

 of its arrival, or from its being captured largely for the table at Wheat- 

 harvest; or again, it may be a corruption of white-ear, a feature very 

 conspicuous in its spring plumage. 



The Wheatear is one of our earliest summer visitants, sometimes 

 appearing even when the ground is whitened with the last snow showers 

 of spring. It is plentiful in this district, and is often to be seen on the 

 lower part of the mountain sides. High and Low Rigg, in St. John's 

 Vale, seems to be one of its favourite haunts ; and it frequents all 

 commons and waste lands, old quarries, etc. The average period for its 

 arrival here is the last week in March and the first week in April. It 

 spends the breeding season amongst us, and may be seen flitting from 

 stone to stone, from one rising ground to another, along the tops of stone 

 walls, and appearing to fall as it were on the opposite side of the wall, 

 on resuming its flight. It makes its nest in holes under and among rocks 

 and stones, in old walls and quarries, and in the rents or splits of dry 

 peat-mosses. The nest is built according to the form of the hole, and is 

 composed of fine grasses, with a Httle lining of wool or hair. The eggs 

 are of a pale blue, occasionally spotted at the larger end with a pale rust 

 colour, and are generally five or six in number. 



Many instances are on record of Wheatears having come on board 

 vessels several miles from land, at the period of migration ; and from the 

 observations of naturalists in various parts of the country, it would appear 

 that these birds travel by night, or at early dawn, as there is not an 

 instance on record in which they have been seen to land upon our shores 



