CHATS AND WARBLERS. 91 



separated by a broad streak of dark brown; the irides are brown; 

 the throat and breast a delicate fawn-colour, passing into pale buff 

 beneath. The smaller and foremost wing coverts are dark brown, 

 with light reddish edges, the hindmost wholly or half white. The 

 quill feathers are dark brown, edged with reddish brown, some of the 

 outer ones white at the base. The tail, which is short, is white at 

 the base, except the two middle feathers, and the remainder dark 

 brown, edged with paler brown. The legs, toes, and claws are black. 



The female resembles the male, but the white markings on the 

 wings are less extensive, the stripes about the eye yellowish white, 

 and the colouring altogether paler. The young are at first mottled 

 grey and white, but when fully fledged resemble the female. 



The food of the Whinchat consists of flies and other insects, slugs, 

 snails, and worms, for which it searches morning and evening, generally 

 resting during the middle of the day. 



THE WHEATEAB, 



(Sylvia cBnanthe.) 



PLATE VI. FIGURE III. 



its effective colouring, elegant and compact form, and lively 

 habits, the Wheatear is one of the most attractive of the sylvan 

 birds. It arrives in this country about the middle of March. Mr. 

 Couch remarks, that on the coast of Cornwall, "this bird reaches 

 our shores so early as to prove that it must have taken flight from 

 the French coast long before daylight. Few come after nine o'clock 

 in the morning, and none after twelve. They sometimes perch on 

 our fishing -boats, at two or three leagues from land, in an almost 

 exhausted state. They do not cross the Channel every day; and as 

 it usually happens that our own residents are not the first to arrive, 

 it is common for them to abound in the morning; but in the after- 

 noon, and for a day or two after, for not one to be seen." 



In a few weeks they spread themselves over the whole island, 

 selecting stony slopes in the vicinity of pastures, sandy downs along 

 the sea coast, and valleys in the more mountainous districts, as their 



