THE STONECHAT 13 



motion, occasionally spring into the air after an insect, and then 

 dart off with a dipping flight to another post of advantage. They 

 repeat the call of u-iick ! and their short and simple song, both 

 while at rest and on the wing ; but they are not musical, and 

 ' their flesh is generally more esteemed than their song.' The 

 Whinchat may be distinguished at a considerable distance by 

 the white streak over the eye. Both nest and eggs of the two species 

 are very similar. 



THE STONECHAT 



Pratincola Rubicola 



Head, throat, bill and legs, black ; sides of the neck near the wing, tertial 

 wing-coverts and rump, white ; breast bright chestnut-red, shaded into 

 yellowish white towards the tail ; feathers of the back, wings and tail, 

 black, with reddish brown edges. Female — feathers of the head and 

 upper parts dusky brown, edged with yellowish red ■ throat black, with 

 small whitish and reddish spots ; less white in the wings and tail ; the 

 red of the breast dull. Length five and a quarter inches ; breadth eight 

 and a half inches. Eggs pale blue, the larger end often faintly speckled 

 with reddish brown. 



We can scarcely pass through a furze-brake during the spring 

 and summer months, without having the presence of the Stonechat 

 almost forced on our notice. I am acquainted with no small bird 

 whose habits are more marked, or more easily observed. Not 

 even does the Skylark build its nest more invariably on the ground, 

 and ' soaring sings, and singing soars ', than does the Stonechat 

 build its nest in a furze-bush, and perch on the topmost twigs of 

 shrubs. In the breeding season, too, it seems not to wander far 

 from its home : we know therefore where a pair are to be found at 

 any time ; and they allow us to approach so close to them, that we 

 can readily distinguish them by the tints of their plumage. 



The nest of the pair may be within a few yards of the spot 

 on which we are standing ; but the exact locality no one knows, 

 nor is likely to know but itself. The male is a beautiful creature, 

 with a black head, red breast, and several patches of pure white 

 on its wings, the female much more sober in her attire. Their 

 purpose is evidently to distract our attention from their nest. 

 One is clinging to the top of a Juniper, where he fidgets about 

 uttering his twit-click-dick, whicli you can easily imitate by whist- 

 ling once sharply and knocking two stones together twice in rapid 

 succession. The other is perched on the top spine of a furze-bush 

 ■ — they are aspiring birds and must settle on the top of wdiatever 

 they alight on, be it only a dock. Now one dips down and is lost 

 for a few seconds, to appear again, however, directly on the summit 

 of another bush ; now they are on our right hand, now on our 

 left ; now before us, and then behind. Are they describing a 

 circle round their nest for a centre, or are they trying to trick us 



