174 OUR NAITS'E SONGSTERS. 



doubt but a young bird, brought up from the 

 nest, might be taught to talk, as thej are very 

 imitative." 



The wheatear is general throughout Britain, 

 and is very widely diffused during summer over 

 Europe, being particuhirly abundant on the 

 northern shores of the ]\lcditerranean. It has 

 been seen very far north, and Sir J. Ross says of 

 it, " One of tliese little birds was obsei-ved flj'ing 

 round the ship in Felix Harbour, 70^ N., 91^ 35' 

 W., on the second of May, 1830, and was found 

 dead alongside, the next morning : having arrived 

 before the ground was sufficiently uncovered to 

 enable it to procure its food, it liad perished from 

 want. It is the only instance of this bird having 

 been met with in Arctic America, in the course 

 of our several expeditions to those regions." 



Another bird, which is often to be heard and 

 seen by those who ramble over the moorlands, is 

 the Stonecliat* (SaoriroJa ridn'cola), but tliis prefers 

 the downs well sprinkled with furze and other 



* The Stonecliat is five inches and a quarter in length. Upper 

 parts black, except the rump and the tertial-coverts which are 

 white ; wing-feathers edged with brown ; chin and throat black ; 

 sides of the neck white ; breast rich chestnut-brown, lightening 

 to buff on the lower parts ; beak and feet black. In winter the 



