BIRDS OF THE COMMONS 77 



Materials. Sticks and heather, lined with tufts of 

 grass, &c. 



Eggs. Two or three. White suffused with bluish, 

 spotted, blotched, and clouded with ruddy brown, and 

 purplish grey under markings. Variable. 



STONECHAT (Pratincola rubicola). 



Rather local and confined to furze-clad commons. 

 Note. Black head and white patch on wings. 



Plumage. Head and throat black ; upper parts black, 

 with feathers edged with brown. Tail and wings dark 

 brown, with conspicuous white patch on the latter ; 

 tail-coverts white, spotted with brown. Sides of neck 

 white. Breast bright chestnut-red paling into almost 

 white on the belly. Bill and legs black. Length 5j in. 

 Female, duller in colour throughout, with smaller white 

 wing spot ; tail-coverts reddish brown ; throat black, 

 with small dingy white and reddish spots. Young 

 spotted above and below ; no dark throat or white 

 patches. 



Language. Song, soft, sweet and varied though short, 

 uttered on the wing and when perched. Call-note, 

 " chat-chat," like two pebbles being knocked together. 

 Note of anger or alarm, " huett-jurre," with the r's 

 rolled. 



Habits. It loves to perch conspicuously on the top- 

 most spine of a gorse-spray, fanning and twitching its 

 tail nervously and fidgeting the whole time. Flight 

 undulating. Insects captured on the wing. When 

 alarmed it skulks in dense cover. Nest difficult to locate 

 owing to the deceptive wiles of the parents. 



Food. Insects chiefly ; spiders, small worms, grubs, 

 and beetles. In winter, seeds. 



Nest. April or May. Sometimes two broods. 



