60 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Saxicola oenanthe, Bechst. 



THE WHEAT-EAR. 



Motacilla oenanthe, Linn. Sy,st. Nat. 1, 175S, 18(5. Saxicola osnanthe, Bechst. "Gemein. 

 Naturg. 1802," and of European authors.' — Holboll, Oru. Groen. (Paulsen ed.), 1846, 

 23 (Greenland). — Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 220 (Europe); Review, 61.— Jones, 

 Nat. Bermuda, 1859, 28 (Bermuda). — CouES, Pr. A. N. S. 1861, 218 (Labrador). — 

 Reinhardt, Ibis, 1861, 5 (Greenland). — Dall & Bannister (Alaska). Saxicola 

 cenanthoides, Vigors, Zool. Blossom, 1839, 19 (N. W. America). — Cassin, 111. I, 1854, 

 208, pi. xxxiv (Nova Scotia). 



Sp. Char. (Description from European specimen.) Male in spring, forehead, line over 

 the eye, and under parts generally Avhite ; the latter tinged with pale yellowish-brown, 

 especially on the breast and throat. A stripe from the bill through, below, and behind 

 the eye, with the wings, upper tail-coverts, bill and feet, black. Tail white, with an 

 abrupt band of black (about .60 of an inch long) at the end, this color extending further 

 up on the middle feather. Rest of upper parts ash-gray; quills and greater coverts 

 slightly edged with whitish. Length, 6.00 ; wing, 3.45 ; tail, 2. .50 ; tarsus, 1.05. 



Autumnal males are tinged with rusty ; the black markings brown. Tlie female in 

 spring is reddish-gray ; lores and cheeks brown ; the black markings generally brownish, 

 and not well defined. Eggs pale light blue. Nest on ground. 



Hab. An Old World species (Europe, Northern Africa, and Asia), abundant in Green- 

 land, found probably as an autumnal migrant in Labrador, Canada, Nova Scotia, Bermuda, 

 etc. Occurs also on Norton Sound, near Behring's Straits. Very occasional in the East- 

 ern States : Long Island. 



Thi.s bird appears to be abundant in Norton Sound, from which region Mr. 

 Dall has recently brought specimens in full spring plumage. These are de- 

 _ - cidedly smaller than birds 



from Labrador and Green- 

 land, but not distinguishable, 

 and seem to agree precisely 

 with skins from Central Eu- 

 rope. 



Habits. The well-known 

 Wheat-ear is entitled to a 

 place in our fauna, not only 

 as an accidental visitor, but 

 also as an occasional resi- 

 dent. Dr. H. E. Storer, of 

 Boston, found them breeding 

 in Labrador in the summer 

 of IS-iS, and procured speci- 

 mens of the young birds 

 which were fully identified 

 by Dr. Samuel Cabot as belonging to this species. In the following year 

 Andrew Downs, of Halifax, gave me the specimen described and figured 



Saxicola ctnanlhe 



