76 THE BIRDS OF BERKS AND BUCKS. 



her husband drives round the neighbouring villages 

 two or three times a week during the season, and he 

 collects about three hundred eggs on each journey, 

 exclusive of Thrush's and Blackbird's. 



Mr. R. B. Sharpe has informed me that the Redstart 

 occurs in the woods around Cookham. It has also 

 been observed in small numbers near Wantage, as 

 I am informed by Mr. R. H. Collins, and is occa- 

 sionally seen in the neighbourhood of Abingdon. 



Whinchat {Saxicola rubetra). No Whinchats 

 remain with us through the winter ; the species is 

 migratory, and is first observed in small numbers 

 towards the close of April. It is but sparingly dis- 

 tributed over these counties, and is not so numerous 

 as the Stonechat ; but it breeds annually on Dorney 

 Common, and in many other parts of the counties. 



Mr. R. B. Sharpe tells me that it is seen near 

 Cookham ; it is not rare in the vicinity of Wantage, 

 and is observed in the northern parts of Bucking- 

 hamshire : it occurs sparingly near Maidenhead, and 

 is seen in summer at Chesham in small numbers. 



Wheatear {Saxicola GEnanthc). Local names, 

 W/iitc-tail, White-nnnp, or Falloiv-cJiat. He who 

 takes a stroll in the meadows in April, may observe 

 a little bird with a white tail spring suddenly up 

 from a stone on which it was sitting, and fly on 

 before him for thirty or forty yards, when it will 

 rest on a gate or on the ground until again ap- 

 proached ; it will again rise and accompany him 



