THE WHINCHAT. 241 



latter end of September or the beginning of October, though I 

 one year saw a pair in Flyde Park as late as the l7th of 

 November. 



In a wild state they are generally to be found on downs and 

 commons, and in Sussex some hundred dozens are caught 

 annually by the shepherds, who sell them for the sake of their 

 flesh, which is very delicious, particularly in autumn, when 

 they become very fat. 



This is a very interesting bird in confinement, and is almost 

 continually singing ; it will also sing by night as well as by 

 day, if there is a light in the room where it is kept ; it has a 

 very pleasant, variable, and agreeable song, different from all 

 other birds, which, in confinement, it continues all the winter. 

 When a pair of them are kept together in a large cage or 

 aviary, it is very amusing to see them at play with each other, 

 flying up and down, and spreading open their long wings in a 

 curious manner, dancing and singing at the same time. I have 

 very little doubt but a young bird, brought up from the nest, 

 might be taught to talk, as they are very imitative. 



When wild the present species feeds entirely on insects, so 

 that the more it has given it when in confinement, the better. 

 There are very few sorts of insects that it will refuse, except 

 the common earth-worm ; small beetles, cockroaches, crickets, 

 grasshoppers, most sorts of caterpillars, butterflies, moths, 

 earwigs, woodlice, the common maggots, and almost all other 

 sorts of insects it is very fond of, and the more that is given 

 it, the finer will be its song. Its common food is bruised 

 hemp-seed and bread, intermixed with fresh, raw, lean meat ; 

 aliio a little of the yolk of an i^gg boiled hard occasionally for a 

 change. 



THE WHINCHAT. 



Montacilla Ruoeira, Linn,i^:us; Le Tarier, ou Le Grand Traquet, Buffon ; Dor 

 Braunkehliger Steinschmatzer, Bechstein. 



This is a delicate bird that is met with throughout Europe, 

 among scattered bushes and abrupt declivities. It is four 

 inches ten lines in length, of which the tail measures an inch 

 and a half. The beak is black, as also the legs, which are nine 

 lines high ; the upper parts ot the body are dusky, in very 



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