174 WILD BIRDS 



places they almost take the place of the redbreast, 

 feeding on the lawn, perching on the garden wall, on 

 the roof of boathouse or bathing machine ; and here 

 they become so trustful and bold as to suffer one 

 within a few yards of their perch on railing or ground. 

 With his red breast faint red in winter, but bright 

 in early spring and his black cap, and that bar of 

 white across the wing which shows up so well in 

 flight, the stonechat is comely in dress as he is lively 

 in habits. I wonder he has never become a favourite 

 and familiar English bird. 



THE BASS ROCK 



December blue can be even as deep as June blue, 

 alike in British sky and sea. The colour depends on 

 the angle at which it is presented to the eye, and the 

 most splendid effects both in blue and green by the 

 sea are only to be got when we have our back to a 

 midwinter sun getting low towards the line of 

 horizon. The East Coast of Scotland is hardly the 

 place where one might expect to see very pure and 

 lovely sea and sky blue at this time of year ; yet on 

 this coast in December I found the colour lustrous 

 and wonderful. After several leaden days, and 

 harsh wind and wet, the sky was cleared and the 

 Bass Rock stood out of a Cornish sea blue. No 

 wonder this rock is fast in the imagination of the 

 whole countryside around, painted by thousands 

 of hands, and secure in the mythology and romance 

 of Scottish history. Ironbound rocks are common 

 to various parts of our coast, and they are often 



