398 THE THRUSH FAMILY 



THE WHEATEAR 

 [E. L. TURNER] 



The wheatear derives its name from two Anglo-Saxon words 

 meaning "white-rump." It is one of the few small birds which 

 can easily be distinguished when flying, by the broad white band 

 above the tail, other notable examples being the bullfinch, brambling, 

 and house-martin. It is sometimes locally called the stonechat, 

 and indeed has more right to that name than the stonechat itself; 

 for it is generally found in rough lands, stony places, bare patches 

 on the downs, or in the vicinity of sandhills, especially in the 

 neighbourhood of rabbit-warrens. It loves hills, and may be met 

 with high up our mountain-sides where bird life is scarce. 



The wheatear is a summer migrant, arriving in the spring and 

 departing in the autumn. But some individuals appear to remain 

 in our southernmost counties all the year round. Mr. W. H. 

 Hudson met with the bird at Land's End on December 3, 1905. 

 Gilbert White frequently mentions them during the winter months, 

 and believed some few individuals were resident with us, an opinion 

 which is gaining ground amongst later ornithologists. Personally 

 I have not met with them later than October. Whilst in Edinburgh 

 I saw a pair on Arthur's Seat several days in succession towards 

 the end of that month. They were the only specimens of small bird 

 life visible, and seemed as pleased with my company as I was with 

 theirs flitting from rock to rock ahead of me almost to the summit, 

 where I lost sight of them as they flew towards Salisbury Crags. 

 This habit of theirs of alighting on a stone or rough clod, inces- 

 santly bowing and calling "chack" "chock" then flying to another 

 slight eminence and repeating these courtesies, is very alluring, 

 especially as the places frequented by wheatears are so often devoid 

 of other bird life ; except indeed, on the South Downs, where they are 

 fairly common during the breeding season, although in that locality 



