106 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 



with great swiftness ; but now and then it may be seen 

 perched on a stone raised a few feet above the level of 

 the plain. Its flight is a kind of alternate dip and rise, 

 and never extends far at a time. 



The food of this species consists of small insects ; its 

 eggs are laid on the ground in a small excavation sheltered 

 by a stone or bush. 



Measurements of a male : 



in. lin. 



Entire length 59 



Length of folded wing 38 



tarsus 12 



middle toe 07 



tail 22 



bill 11 



In the adult of this Wheatear the head, auriculars, 

 neck, and back are drab tinted with fawn, the lower part 

 of the back being more strongly tinted than the upper ; 

 a streak over the eye, the chin, throat, breast, belly, 

 under wing-coverts, sides, vent, under and upper tail- 

 coverts, and part of the rump are all more or less white 

 tinted with pale fawn; the wings are grey, with the 

 outer vanes, shafts, and extremities of the primaries 

 brown, and the upper parts narrowly margined with 

 fawn-white, the wing-coverts, secondaries, and tertials 

 being more broadly margined and also tipped with this 

 colour ; the tail is white, with the posterior third brown 

 margined with fawn- white and tipped with grey; the 

 bill is brown, the legs, toes, and claws black. 



The young bird resembles the adult, but the upper 

 parts and sides of the head are mottled with brown ; the 

 breast is also mottled, the rest of the underparts are 



