THE WHEATEAB. 239 



FOOD. When wild it feeds on flies and other insects that tease the 

 cattle. 



In the house it must be fed like the preceding. 



BREEDING. Its nest, made of stubble, and lined with wool, is placed 

 at the water-side, or in a deserted molehill, sometimes in the grass, or 

 corn, like the lark's. It breeds twice in the year, each time laying five 

 or six eggs, grey-blue, spotted all over with reddish grey, and very like 

 those described above. The under parts of the young birds are much 

 paler than in the old ones. They must be reared on ants' eggs and white 

 bread soaked in boiled milk. 



MODE OF TAKING. These birds are not very easily caught; at least, 

 I have always found it very difficult to succeed ; and, therefore, one is 

 reduced to the necessity of placing limed twigs on the nest, which is cruel. 

 If snow should fall, however, after their return in spring, some of them 

 may be taken, by clearing a convenient place, and scattering there meal- 

 worms amongst limed twigs, if you succeed in bringing the birds near. 



ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES. Its beauty and agreeable song make this bird 

 a desirable acquisition ; but with every possible attention, I have never 

 been able to keep one more than two years. 



THE WHEATEAR. 



Motacilla CEnanthe, LINNJEUS; L'CEnanthe, ou Le Culblanc, BCFFON : Dei 

 Weisschwanz, BECHSTEIN. 



THIS bird, found throughout Europe and the northern parts 

 of Asia, resembles the wagtail in size and air ; but its tail 

 being only an inch and ten lines, its total length is only five 

 inches and a half. The beak, seven lines long, is black, as 

 well as the iris and feet ; the shanks are an inch high ; the 

 forehead white, and a white streak passes above the eyes, 

 crossed by a black line springing from the nostrils, which also 

 tints the cheeks; all the upper parts of the body and the 

 scapulars are of a light ash-gr>y colour, slightly tirfged with a 

 reddish hue. 



