38 THE WHEATEAR. 



dykes and palings, apparently preparing for its southern 

 journey. 



When, in a thousand swarms, the summer o'er. 

 The birds of passage quit our English shore, 

 By various routes the feather'd myriad moves ; 

 The Beccafico seeks Italian groves, 

 No more a Wheatear, while the soaring files 

 Of seafowl gather round the Hebrid isles. 



Charlotte Smith. 



The Wheatear is much esteemed as a delicacy for the 

 table, and the following account of the method of taking it in 

 traps is given by Yarrell : — " The well-known South Downs 

 of Sussex are visited by the Wheatear from the end of July 

 to the middle of September in vast numbers, consisting 

 almost exclusively of the young birds which, having been bred 

 in other parts of the country, or perhaps even further to the 

 northward, are then pressing forward on their autumnal 

 journey. Being at that time fat and of excellent flavour, 

 these periodical emigrants are in great request as a delicacy 

 among those who frequent the many watering-places on 

 that coast. The birds are chiefly supplied by the shepherds, 

 who set traps for them on the downs over which their flocks 

 graze. The Wheatear trap is formed by cutting an oblong sod 

 of turf from the surface, about eight inches by eleven, and six 

 inches thick, which is taken up and laid in the contrary way, 

 both as to surface and direction over the hole, thus forming 

 a hollow chamber beneath. Besides this chamber, two other 

 openings are also cut in the turf, about six inches wide and 

 of greater length, which lead into the chamber at opposite 

 ends, that the bird may run in under the turf through either 

 of them. A small straight stick, sharpened at both ends, 

 not very unlike a common match, but stouter, is fixed in an 

 upright position a little on one side of the middle of the 

 square chamber ; the stick supports two open running loops 



