THE WHEAT-EAR. 10$ 



Martin,* in old walls and in quarries, and we 

 have found the nest in the rents or splits of dr$ 

 peat mosses. The nest is built according to the 

 form of the hole, and is composed of fine grasses, 

 with a little lining of wool or hair. The eggs 

 are of a pale verditer green. The food, during 

 its residence in Britain, is composed of insects. 

 Q,n the coast the small mollusca of the warrens 

 are fed upon. 



The colours of the adult birds blend and har- 

 monize beautifully together, and are at the same 

 time very contrasted. The forehead, and a stripe 

 above the eyes, are white ; the space between the 

 bill and the eyes, the auriculars, the wings, one- 

 third of the outer tail feathers, and the whole of 

 the pair in the centre, are deep black ; the secon- 

 daries, quills, and coverts, being edged with a 

 pale brown, or brownish-white. These decided 

 markings relieve the pale and delicate bluish- 

 gray of the head and back, which is still farther 

 broken by the pure white of the base of the tail and 

 its coverts, which form a beautiful band, appear- 

 ing very conspicuous during flight, and presenting 

 a characteristic mark in the distribution of the 

 colouring of the whole genus. The under parts are 

 pale chestnut-brown, becoming paler towards the 

 vent In the female the colours are less clear, 

 and are marked with more brown. In the young 

 birds the tips of the feathers are brown, and the 

 dark markings are indistinct, the pale colours of 

 the edges of the feathers of the wings broader, 

 * Hewitson. 



