THE WHEATEAK. 109' 



but the most cunning marauder, it lays five or six eggs. 

 Early in August, when the young are fully fledged, 

 the scattered colonies of Wheatears assemble for emigra- 

 tion on open downs near the sea. "We have seen a good 

 many of them on the sandy coast of Norfolk and of 

 North Wales ; but it is on the extensive downs of Sussex 

 that they collect in the largest numbers, not in flocks, but 

 in parties of six or eight ; each party perhaps constituting 

 a family. They here retain their shy habits of flying off 

 at the approach of a human being, and are often seen to 

 drop suddenly, where they may remain concealed from sight 

 behind a stone, furze-bush or bank. The shepherds and 

 others, whose vocation lies on the downs, take advan- 

 tage of the habit of these birds to conceal themselves, 

 and construct a multitude of simple but efficacious traps in 

 which they capture large numbers. The method which 

 they adopt is, to cut out from the sward an oblong piece of 

 turf about the size of a brick, which they invert over the 

 hole from which it was taken so as to form a cross. Be- 

 neath this are placed two running nooses of horsehair, in 

 which the poor bird, when it takes refuge in one of the 

 open ends of the hole for concealment, is easily snared. 

 The birds being in fine condition at this season having, 

 in fact, fattened themselves previously to undertaking their 

 long sea voyage are highly prized as a dainty article of 

 food. It was formerly the custom for persons who wanted 

 a dish of Wheatears to supply themselves from the traps, 

 placing a penny in every hole from which they took a 

 bird ; but of late years the influx of visitors to the 

 neighbouring watering-places has so much enhanced their 

 value, that the shepherds will allow no such interference. 

 We once tried the experiment of releasing a bird and de- 

 positing the penny-piece in the trap, when, from a neigh- 

 bouring eminence, we were assailed with such a torrent 

 of abuse, that we declined repeating the experiment. In 

 September, all who have escaped the sportsman and 



