WIIEATEARS. 239 



black, and more than half an inch long ; the top of the 

 head, hind part of the neck, and back are of a bluish 

 grey ; from the base of the bill a black streak extends 

 over the eyes, cheeks, and ears, where it widens into a 

 large patch ; and above tliis there is a line of white. 

 The quills are black, with tawny edges ; rump, upper tail 

 coverts, and base half of the tail white, and the rest black. 

 The under parts of the body yellowish- white, changing 

 to pure white at the vent ; the breast tinged with red ; 

 legs and feet black. In the female the white above the 

 eye is somewhat obscure, and all the black parts of the 

 plumage incline more into brown, nor are the tail 

 feathers marked so deeply with white. 



"VMieatears frequent heaths, and except in particular 

 spots, as before mentioned, are only seen in a few 

 scattered pairs. The nest, which is placed in new 

 ploughed lands, under stones, sometimes in rabbit bur- 

 rows, is constructed with much care, and is composed of 

 dry grass and moss, mixed with wood, and lined with 

 feathers ; it is defended by a sort of covert fixed to the 

 stone or clod, and under which it is formed, and is 

 always made on the ground. The eggs, from five to 

 eight in number, are of a light blue, with a circle at the 

 large end of a deeper blue. The young are hatched 

 the end of ]May or early in June. Mr. Stillingfleet in 

 his tract, speaking of this bird, says, " that if the wheat- 

 ear does not quit England, it certainly shifts places about 

 harvest ; they are not to be found where before there 

 was great plenty of them." The most intelligent 

 shepherds, some of whom make many pounds in a 

 season by catching them in traps, told Mr. White that 

 some few of these birds appear on the downs in ]\Iarch, 

 and then withdraw to breed. At the time of wheat 



