THE STONECHAT AND WHEATEAR. 87 



them repair to their branches every bit as frequently as 

 the Whinchat himself. But on the bare moorland, or 

 on the bleak and open common, vegetation is of a. more 

 stunted growth. Thus we see the Wheatear perching 

 on rocky boulders, or old walls, or on the ground, 

 simply because other perching-places are absent, and not 

 because the foot of the bird requires a broad surface to 

 obtain a secure hold. 



When walking through the haunts of the Wheatear we 

 see the birds perched on the walls or rocks around us 

 slowly jerking their tails, but as we approach them they 

 flit before us, always keeping some distance away, and 

 all the time uttering a low and plaintive note, resembling, 

 though faintly, the call note of the Stonechat. In the 

 fallow fields they will follow the plough, and feed on the 

 grubs and insects, like the Wagtail. Their food, in 

 addition to worms and grubs, is largely composed of 

 insects and beetles, and we often see the birds sitting 

 motionless, and then with a quick Muttering movement 

 sally into the air for the purpose of securing the insects 

 flying round them, hovering in the air just as buoyantly 

 as our little friend the Flycatcher. 



May is the Wheatear's nesting season, and, like the 

 Chats in general, its nest is extremely difficult to find. 

 We may stumble upon it by accident as it lies cleverly 

 concealed under a friendly rock, but may search for 

 hours with fruitless results, although we know for certain 

 it is not far away. In an old wall, under a large stone, 

 or in the crevices of the surrounding rocks, are excellent 

 places to search for it. When discovered, it will be found 

 to be a very simple structure, made of dry grass, and 

 lined with a little hair. The eggs are four or five in 

 number, sometimes only three, somewhat elongated in 

 form, and, like the Redstart's, pale blue, and spotless. The 



