THE WHEAT-EAR 67 



consists of insects, chiefly small caterpillars. The nest is built 

 amongst brushwood ; eggs, four or five, green with white, speckled 

 with brown spots. The young are fed with " soft " larvae, chiefly 

 small caterpillars. The lesser white-throat leaves the British Islands 

 in September. 



The WHEAT-EAR (Saxicola cenanthe) belongs to the family Erytha- 

 cinae or Robins, and averages about 6J in. in length. Its colour 

 is grey above, the quill feathers of the wings being tipped with black, 

 and a black streak encloses the eye and ear-coverts ; the breast is 

 brown and the under-parts white. The female is coloured dark- 

 brown on the wings, ear-coverts and tail. It arrives in this country 

 in March and departs southward in winter. It builds its nest among 

 stones, sometimes in burial places, or in rock-clefts, where, well 

 concealed from prying eyes, the eggs, four to six in number and pale 

 blue, are laid. It feeds chiefly upon ground pests, and the bird 

 is much sought after for table, its flesh being very delicate. It is 

 usually caught in nooses of horsehair concealed under a turf. 



The WHIN-CHAT (Pratincola rubetra), included in the family 

 Erythacinae or Robins, is closely allied to the Stone-chat (Pratin- 

 cola or Saxicola mbicola), and, like it, prefers the neighbourhood of 

 furze or whin-bushes, but, unlike it, is a migratory bird, arriving in 

 Britain in the middle or end of April. The upper parts of the body 

 are coloured brown, with a white streak passing across the sides of 

 the head ; tail, white and brown at tip ; chin, white, and throat fawn ; 

 the belly buff. The average length is 4^ in. It produces two 

 broods in the year. The nest is constructed on the ground, and 

 the eggs are four to six in number, of a bluish-green hue spotted 

 with brown. The first brood is hatched about the end of May. It 

 feeds on the worms and insects which it procures in the neighbour- 

 hood of furze-bushes. The whin-chat, like the wheat-ear, is greatly 

 esteemed for the delicacy of its flesh in the autumn. 



The REDSTART (Ruticilla phcenicura) derives its name from the 

 red cclour of the tail, and from the jerking motion which it exhibits 

 when changing position. It is of the Robin family. The male has 

 the upper surface of a bluish-grey colour and the tail red, the female 

 uniform greyish-brown. The Redstarts arrive in Britain early in May 

 and frequent localities near streams, visiting orchards and taking 

 prey on semi-wing. The Redstart builds in the ivy of ruined build- 

 ings and trees, a hole in a wall or tree, the eggs, numbering five or 

 six, being of a greenish-blue colour. It feeds upon insects, the young 

 being fed with " soft " and small caterpillars. It departs from British 

 shores late in August or early in September. 



The GREY WAGTAIL (Motacilla melanope) is not such an abundant 

 species as the Pied W T agtail, and is found chiefly in the hilly and 

 mountainous districts of England and Scotland, and is fairly common 

 in Ireland. It frequents streams and other places where there is 

 water, and is of relatively solitary habits. It is not quite so large 



