60 OUR IRISH SONG BIRDS. 



WHINCHAT. 



Saxicola rubetra ; Tarier ordinaire ; Wiesenschmatzer. 

 Furzechatter ; Fallowchat. 



Beak, legs, and claws, black ; upper plumage, dark 

 brown ; broad white streak over the eye ; throat and 

 breast, fawn colour ; patch under the eye of dark brown ; 

 chin, white, with streak extending beneath the dark 

 patch ; tail-feathers, white at the base, but brown at the 

 extremity ; white spot on wings. Length, five inches. 



The Whinchat is a much less common bird in Ireland 

 than either the Stonechat or Wheatear. It resembles 

 the former of these birds ; the colouring in the male, 

 however, is not so striking, and the white stripe over the 

 eye makes it readily distinguishable. 



Mr. Ussher says that " the relative abundance of the 

 Whinchat in England, compared with that of the Stone- 

 chat, is reversed in Ireland ; " and I have myself met 

 with it but once, and that at Brittas, County Dublin, 

 though I have frequently searched for it in company 

 with my friend the late Captain George Cary. 



The Whinchat, unlike the Stonechat, is a migratory 

 bird. It usually arrives early in April, and departs 

 before the end of September, and, whilst it remains 

 with us, frequents the wild common, where it particu- 

 larly affects the dock-leaves, which seem to divide its 

 allegiance with the whin or furze bushes, from which it 

 derives its name. 



The call-note of this bird much resembles the words, 

 " ii-tick, u-tick : " this note revealed its presence to me at 

 Brittas, as I had often heard it in England and abroad. 



