42 SAXICOLIN^E. 



in the vicinity of sandhills, and also frequenting the slopes 

 and pastures of our mountain ranges. 



Attractive in habits, we have often felt grateful to the 

 wheatear for its company on our shore rambles. Watchful 

 and suspicious in its manner, a single bird will often accom- 

 pany the fancied intruder for half a mile, flying on before 

 him, then dropping on a stone ; the tail is jerked up, the 

 body bent, and the wings assuming a depressed position, it 

 utters its impatient " check, check ;" from the sound of which 

 note it is best known as the stonechat ; or in the Irish dis- 

 tricts of the island, on the authority of Mr. Thompson, as 

 " custeen fayclough," meaning, " the cunning little old man 

 under the stone ;" and in other localities as " casur clock," 

 which signifies the " stonehammer." All of these names are 

 aptly adapted to the bird, as well from its wildness and timi- 

 dity as from its call-note, which bears an exact resemblance 

 to the striking together of two stones. The song of the 

 wheatear is wild and varied, but is seldom heard, from the 

 timidity of its habits. We have many times observed the 

 male hovering like a pipet over the nest of its mate, singing 

 whilst on the wing its wildly modulated melody. 



The breeding places selected by the wheatear vary accord- 

 ing to situation ; the preference is generally given to holes 

 and chinks in embankments and stone walls. However, along 

 the eastern side of Lambay, where they breed in considerable 

 numbers, we have taken the eggs from the holes of the 

 rabbit -burrows. 



Habitat Southern Europe. 



SPECIES 39 THE STONECHAT. 

 Saxicola rubicola. Linn. 

 Traquet rubicole. Temm. 



Blackcap. 



THE STONECHAT, although a resident, appears of such rarity 

 during the winter months, that we are inclined to believe 

 they receive accessions to their numbers at the same time 

 that the other members of the family arrive upon our shores. 

 Although its short, bulky, little figure presents very slight 

 claims to the elegant in nature, yet the stonechat is pos- 

 sessed of many pleasing habits interesting to the ornithologist. 

 Nearly similar in habits to the wheatear, it is, however, 

 seldom found in the same situation, but generally on com- 

 mons or waste land, or, indeed, any locality where its favourite 

 cover, the furze or gorse, exists. There, on its topmost twig, 

 we can always observe the stonechat, its deep black head and 



