

SAXICOLA (ENANTHE. 283 



Sub-Family Saxicolina. 



This group contains the three chats, the robin, and the red- 

 start ; from their length of tarsi and structure of feet they are 

 as well suited for running as for perching — therefore the typical 

 species are as much at home on links and downs as amongst 

 trees ; their food consists of insects, larvae, and worms — in fact, 

 like all creatures, they live upon anything they can catch, kill, 

 and swallow less and weaker than themselves. 



The Wheat-Ear, or White-Rumped Stone Chat. 



(Saxicola (Enantlie.) Bechst. (Motacilla CEnanthe.) Linn, 



" Those gloomy downs 

 Had charms for him, and here he loved to sit ; 

 His only visitants, a straggling sheep. 

 The stone chat, or the glancing sandpiper.' 



— Wordstvorth. 



This lively bird is one of our earliest summer migrants. I 

 have seen it on our Links in the end of March (which is very 

 early). It is also one of the last to leave us, and passes the 

 winter near the Mediterranean — chiefly in Africa. It frequents 

 sandy downs, moors, and fallow fields, where there are turf or 

 dry-stone dykes. Therefore the wide extensive heath and sandy 

 downs of Tentsmuir, and utter loneliness, is a favourite resort of 

 the wheat-ear, whose only companions are some straggling sheep, 

 the frisking rabbit, or the various sea fowl. Like all the chats, 

 it has a peculiar habit of jerking its tail up and down, and 

 sharply piping "jpeep, chick, chock" like two stones struck 

 together, by which and its white rump it is easily known, 

 hence its names of stane chack and white rump. In Gaelic 

 it is called clacharan, or the little mason. But, besides chick- 

 chack, it has a sweet little song while perched upon a stone or 

 dyke, and often while hovering above its mate. On May 1st, 

 1856, 1 found from personal observation that the "wheat-ear sings 

 a very sweet and somewhat loud song ; for I saw two alight on 

 the tops of the white birch trees in the ' Old Fir Park' at 



