"THE WHINCHAT THE WHEATEAR. 87 



THE WHINCHAT. 



SAXICOLA RUBETRA. 



NOT nearly so numerous as the preceding species, though affecting 

 the same haunts by the sea-shore; it, however, approaches nearer to 

 homesteads and farm-yards, being less suggestive as a bird of the 

 waste. It perches more frequently on palings and hedgerows than 

 its congener, and is perhaps quieter and less obtrusive in its habits. 

 As a rule, it is thinly distributed, still it is never absent from 

 places where one would naturally look for it. I have seen it 

 along the shores of Ayrshire, frequenting potato fields, flitting 

 restlessly across the green surface, and perching at times on the 

 plants themselves. Another favourite haunt in the same county 

 is the side of the railway embankment, near Girvan, where I have 

 seen twenty or thirty in the course of a short ramble, hunting in 

 the vicinity of their nests for small beetles which lurked among 

 the clover and grasses growing profusely in the more sheltered 

 cuttings. Sometimes when so engaged, it will neatly perch on a 

 stem of tall grass, and after looking about for a few seconds, 

 resume its hovering and feeding as before. I have often watched 

 this interesting bird feeding its young ones after having left the 

 nest, the family group generally occupying the top rail of some 

 fence conveniently near a good place for insects, where, on warm 

 evenings, they remain for hours perched in a row, each patiently 

 waiting its turn to be fed. 



This species is mentioned by the late Mr John Macgillivray, in 

 his list of the Birds of the Outer Hebrides, and it has occasionally 

 been seen in Orkney, although it is not known to breed there, 

 In many Scottish districts it is absent altogether; yet it may be 

 said to range from the border counties to Caithness. 



THE WHEATEAE. 



SAXICOLA ^NANTHE. 



THE appearance of this lively species in the western counties 

 of Scotland is generally unobtrusive, a few pairs only coming at 

 first, until by degrees their accustomed haunts are occupied by 

 the usual numbers. On the eastern shores, however, immense 

 flocks make their appearance suddenly, and occupy for a day or 



