28 WHINCHAT. 



a thick furze-bush, or in coarse herbage and thick meadow-grass. 

 It is a loose structure of dry grass and moss, with a lining of 

 finer materials ; the eggs, usually 6 in number, being greenish-blue, 

 sometimes dotted or zoned with rust-colour : average measurements, 

 ■72 by •6 in. The call-note is a sharp ii-iick, and the bird has also 

 an agreeable song, uttered on the wing or while sitting on some low 

 branch, accompanied with a fanning movement of the tail. Although, 

 like the Stonechat, it frequents heaths and commons, the two species 

 are seldom abundant in the same neighbourhood ; and, when obtain- 

 able, the Whinchat exhibits a partiality for pastures, whence its local 

 name of ' Grasschat.' Its food consists of beetles, flies, and other 

 insects — often sought for late in the evening ; worms, especially the 

 wire-worm, and" small mollusks. It roosts on the ground. 



The adult male has the lores, ear-coverts and cheeks dark brown ; 

 a clear white streak above the eye ; crown and upper parts mottled 

 with about equal proportions of sandy-buff and dark brown, more 

 rufous on tail-coverts ; base of tail white (except the two central 

 feathers, which are dark brown), terminal-half dark brown, tipped 

 and margined with buff; wing brown, the upper part showing a con- 

 spicuous white patch contrasted against a nearly black outer portion 

 of the coverts ; a smaller white patch on spurious wing ; bastard 

 primary smaller than in the Stonechat ; under parts buff, turning to 

 bright fawn-colour on the breast and throat ; chin white, with a streak 

 of the same running below the blackish cheeks to the sides of the 

 neck. Bill black (stouter than in the Stonechat), legs and feet black. 

 Length 5-25 in.; wing to the end of the 3rd and longest primary 

 2"9 in. 



The female is duller in colour, the speculum smaller ; the eye- 

 streak buff; the upper breast slightly spotted. The young have the 

 feathers margined with rufous and buff; the breast much more 

 spotted than in the female, which otherwise they resemble. By 

 September the young males have the wing-patches well defined. 



In autumn the Whinchat assumes a duller plumage, leading to 

 confusion with the Stonechat ; and to this, perhaps, may be ascribed 

 the records of the occurrence of the former in winter in the British 

 Islands. In spring, according to Herr Meves and other observers, 

 it not only loses the paler tips of the feathers by abrasion, but has a 

 distinct moult. This is an exception to the rule among the TurdincB. 

 White and pied varieties of this bird have been obtained. 



