WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



their nest on the ground in the orchard, amongst the long 

 grass, archingitoverin themostcunningmanner, and com- 

 pletely concealing it. When they leave their eggs to feed, 

 a leaf is laid over the entrance of the nest to hide it; in fact, 

 nothing but the eyes of children(who in nest-findingwould 

 beat Argus himself) could ever discover the abode of the 

 littlewhitethroat.Beforetheyleave this country, these birds 

 collect together, and are seen searching the hedges for in- 

 sects in considerable but scattered flocks. They frequently 

 fly in at the open windows in pursuit of flies, and chase them 

 roundthe roomquitefearlessly.Thegardener accuses them 

 of destroying quantities of cherries, by piercing them with 

 their bills: they certainly do so, but I am always inclined to 

 suppose that it is only the diseased fruit that they attack in 

 this way, or that which has already been taken possession 

 of by small insects. 



The wheatear does not arrive till the first week of April, 

 when they appear inconsiderable numberson thesand-hills, 

 flying in and out of the rabbit-holes and broken banks, in 

 concealed corners of which they hatch. Their eggs are pec- 

 uliarly beautiful, being of a pale blue delicately shaded with 

 a darker colour at one end. Though of such repute in the 

 south of E ngland, it is not ever sought after here. As a boy, 

 on the Wiltshire downs, I used to be an adept at catching 

 them in horsehair nooses, as we used to consider them par- 

 ticularlygood eating. Theshepherds there, aswell as on the 

 South downs, make a considerable addition to theirincome 

 by catching wheatears and sending them to the London 

 and Brighton markets. 



The swallows and swifts arrive also about the middle of 



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