366 SUMMER. 



the same neatness as that of the former species. Some- 

 times, indeed, the nest of the whinchat is without any 

 lining of animal matter ; but has the portion nearest 

 the eggs formed of very soft and delicate leaves and 

 fibres of plants. The eggs are also the same in num- 

 ber, and without any spots or markings, but the blue 

 tint has a shade of green. Like the wheatear, the 

 whinchat picks up the chief supply of food for itself 

 and its young ones upon the ground, though it occa- 

 sionally hawks for winged insects, and even sings, 

 fluttering over the bushes, but never at any great 

 height. There is no doubt that a considerable number 

 of the whinchats migrate to and from the British shores ; 

 but more winter near the south coast than could be 

 accounted for from lame birds and stragglers ; though 

 those that remain have a migration within the island, 

 as they do not winter in those very elevated places in 

 which they nestle and pass the summer, and which 

 have procured them the name of moor titlings. tn 

 the end of the season they become very fat, and are 

 much relished by epicures in small birds; but their 

 flesh soon begins to decay, in which state the smell of 

 it is very offensive. 



The stonechat is a little larger than the whinchat, 

 but not so large as the wheatear (which, by the way, 

 is the one that really deserves the name of u stonechat," 

 as it frequents stones and stony places much more than 

 either of the others), and its colours make it easily 

 distinguishable from either of those, though it has still 

 some resemblance to them. It is altogether darker in 

 the colours. The throat, head, ancfr beak are black, 

 but the feathers on the last are edged with brown. 



