432 THE STONECHAT. 



the next dav it was quite well, and could jump up and down the 

 perches as if nothing had ever ailed it, and it has continued in 

 good health ever since, and is now as handsome a bird as need 

 be ; it has been in full song ever since last October, singing 

 nearly the whole day through, and very often at night ; its song 

 is now very loud and very variable, as it has learnt the songs of 

 most of the other birds." 



168. THE STONECHAT. 



Sylvia or Motacilla Rubicola, LIN. Le Traquet, BUF. Der Schwarz- 

 kehige Steinschmatzer, BECH. 



Description. The Stonechat is four inches and a half in 

 length, of which the tail measures one inch and a half. The 

 beak is four lines long ; the feet black, and nine lines in height. 

 The iris is nut brown ; the upper part of the body blackish 

 brown, edged with reddish white ; the rump white. The 

 cheeks and throat are black, the latter having a white stripe 

 on each side. The breast is rusty red, inclining to white on 

 the belly. The wing feathers are dark brown, edged with rusty 

 red; and the hindmost coverts and pen feathers are w r hite, 

 from which arise white spots on the folded wings. The tail 

 feathers are blackish, edged with pale orange. 



The plumage of the female is lighter ; the rump is brown- 

 ish; the throat white, spotted with black; the breast and 

 belly lighter than in the male. 



Observations. The Stonechat is rarer than the species last 

 described, but is found in all the mountainous districts of Ger- 

 many. It is a bird of passage ; leaving us in September, and 

 returning at the end of May. It resembles the Whinchat in 

 its habits, and feeds on flies and beetles.- In confinement it is 

 a very delicate bird, and must be fed with Nightingale's food. 

 It builds its nest in thick underwood, or a hole in a rock, and 

 the female lays five greenish eggs. The young may be reared 

 on ants' eggs ; but the old birds very rarely survive, if taken. 

 "When confined in a cage, the Stonechat is a very quiet bird, 

 sitting on the same perch for a long time together. Its song 

 resembles that of the Whitethroat, and its call is Feed ! and 

 TzerJc! 



SWEET'S ACCOUNT. " The present species, as well as 8. Ru- 

 letra and 8. (Enanthe, have, with some other exotic species, been 

 formed into a separate genus by most late authors, which has 

 been named Saxicola by BECHSTEIN, and (Enanthe by VIEIL- 



