52 WILD LIFE OF SCOTLAND 



plaiiation suffice for both ? And, must we conclude 

 that the white rump of the wheatear is meant to 

 show the young the course the parent bird has 

 taken across the moor ? It is not a twilight feeder, 

 but then, the protective colouring might hide it 

 even by day. 



The wheatear reaches the Scots moors for it is 

 a migrant, as early as March. The apology for a 

 nest, with its faint blue almost white eggs will 

 be in many of the disused holes of his comrade the 

 rabbit. They are easily found, because of his 

 slovenly habit of leaving chopped pieces of bracken 

 round the opening. As in the case of most of our 

 hardier migrants, a few may remain with us all 

 the year round. 



" Cuckoo, cuckoo " sounds from a clump of trees 

 in the centre of the moor. The males arrive first, 

 and seem to affect the high ground, where they 

 call for awhile before scattering over the country. 

 Since the mimicry of eggs can scarcely be changed 

 at will, they are bound to seek the haunts of the 

 birds they have been in the habit of deceiving. 

 For the nests they search with the skill, and 

 persistence of a schoolboy. Should everything 

 else fail, they watch the bird going, or returning. 



On the moor, the chief victim is the meadow- 



