58 OUR MIGRANT BIRDS 



by no means so inseparable from furze-clad wastes 

 as the Stonechat. 



Plumage. — Upper parts dusky brown ; feathers edged 

 with reddish yellow, white stripe over eye. Lores and 

 cheeks dark brown. Throat and sides of neck white. 

 Wings dark brown with white spot. Tail dark brown, 

 basal portion white. Throat and breast yellowish 

 red ; under parts yellowish white. Bill and legs black. 

 Length 5 J in. Female, duller colouring, with white 

 spot on wing smaller, and eye-stripe buff. Young 

 much resemble female, but breast more spotted. 



Language. — Song, a pleasing warble ; short, impetuous, 

 and rather resembling the Redstart's. While singing it 

 fans its tail. Call-note, " utic-utac " or uchack." 

 Note of anxiety, a weak " twzee." 



Habits. — Partial to grass-lands (hence Grasschat). 

 Fond of perching on the summit of low, stunted bushes, 

 all the while fidgeting extremely, fanning its tail, and 

 making little excursions into the air with undulating 

 flight to take an insect, and returning to the same bush 

 or one adjacent. Most of its food is obtained on the 

 ground. Flight fairly rapid and direct. 



Food. — Largely insects and their larvae, spiders, 

 grubs, wire-worms, and small beetles. 



Nest. — May onwards. Two broods. 



Site. — On the ground, under a clod of grass, under 

 thick furze or other bush, always studiously concealed — 

 usually a little tortuous tunnel through the tangle 

 leading to the nest. 



Materials. — Bents, grass, rootlets, and moss, loosely 

 compacted, lined with finer materials and hair. 



Eggs. — Four to six. Greenish blue, not unlike the 

 Hedge Sparrow's. Usually faintly speckled and zoned 

 with red-brown. 



