THE WHINCHAT. 365 



The whinchat is not above two-thirds the size of the 

 wheatear, and though there be some resemblance in 

 them, the distinction of colour is as obvious as that of 

 size, locality, or manners. The bill, legs, and claws 

 are black ; a white stripe passes over the eyes from 

 the bill to the nape, and another down the side of the 

 neck to the breast. The chin, the belly, the vent, the 

 under wing covers, and the bases of the quills and tail, 

 and outside feathers of the tail, are also white ; the 

 upper part, the cheeks, and ear covers, are dark brown, 

 the feathers margined with dull yellow ; the throat 

 and breast are pale yellowish brown, and the middle 

 feathers of the tail black. The plumage of the female 

 has less white in it, and the upper parts have a reddish 

 tinge. The note, though short and hurried, and not 

 deserving the name of a song, is more pleasing than 

 that of the wheatear. 



The whinchat gets its trivial name from the par- 

 tiality that it has to bushes of the whin or furze ; and 

 the places in which it is most abundant are commons 

 that are overrun with those bushes. Its nest is placed 

 under them, or under any thick bush, or close and 

 matted tuft of grass, concealed with the greatest care, 

 both above and on every side. The entrance to it is 

 so contrived that there is not the least appearance of a 

 nest at the place from which the bird escapes ; and 

 when it is to enter, it alights at a little distance, and 

 hops round by a circuit till it can plunge into the 

 cover. There are often more passages than one to 

 the nest ; but they are all winding, so that it cannot 

 be seen from any of them. The nest itself is on the 

 ground, of the same materials, and put together with 

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