SAXICOLID.E — THE SAX ICOLAS. 



61 



by Mr. Cassin. This was secured late in the summt'r near Cajn* Harrison, 

 L'lhrador, where it had evidently just reared its brood. In 1800 Mr. Klliott 

 Coues obtained another specimen on the ^oth of Au^'ust, at Henley Harbor. 

 It was in company witli two others, and was in innnature phiniaj^e. Its 

 occurrence in consi<leraV)le numbers on the coiist of I^ilmidor is further con- 

 firmed by a writer ("W. C") in " Tiie Field," for June 10, 1871, who states 

 that when in that region durini? tlie months of Mav and June lie saw a 

 nund»er of "White J^irs," the greater proportion of them Ixjin^' males. He 

 inferred from this that they breed in that country, the apparent scarcity 

 of females lieing due to their occupation in nesting. Mr. Lawrence has one 

 in his cabinet from Long Island, and the Smithsonian Institution one from 

 Quebec. Specimens have also been obtained in the Bermudas. 



Holboll, in his paper on the fauna of (treeuland, is of the opinion that the 

 individuals of this species that occur there come from Kurope, make their 

 journey across the Atlantic!; without touching at Iceland, and arrive in 

 SouthCJreenlandas early in the season as it does at the former jdace, the first 

 of May. It reaches (Jodhaven a month later, at times when all is snow- 

 bound and the warmth has not yet released the insects on which it feeds. 

 It is found as far nortli as the 73d pamll'el, and even Iniyond. In Sep- 

 tend)er it puts on its winter dress and dej)arts. 



Mr. Dall states that several large flocks of this species were seen at Nulato, 

 May 2.'> and 24, 18G8, and a numl)er of specimens obtained. They were 

 said to be abundant on the dry stony hill-tops, but were rare along the 

 river. 



The Wheat-ear is one of the most common birds of Europe, and is found, 

 at different seasons, throughout that continent as well as in a large portion 

 of Western Asia. It breeds throughout the British Islands as well as iu the 

 whole of Xorthern Europe and Asia. 



Its food is principally worms and insects, the latter of w^hich it takes npon 

 the wing, in the maimer of a fly-catcher. The male bird is said to sing 

 prettily, but not loudly, warbling even when on the wing, and hovering 

 over its nest or over its partner. In confinement its song is continued by 

 night as well as by day. 



The Wheat-ear begins to make its nest in April, usually concealing it in 

 some deep recess beneath a huge stone, and often far beyond the reach of 

 the arm. Sometimes it is placed in old walls, and is usually large and 

 rudely constructed, made of dried bents, scraps of shreds, feathers, and 

 rubbish collected al)out the huts, generally containing four pale blue eggs, 

 uniform in color, and without spots, w^hich measure .81 of an inch iu length 

 by .09 iu breadth. 



