THE WHEATEAR 199 



breast yellowish. The side feathers of the wings are white 

 towards the base at the end black ; the middle feathers 

 entirely black. Bill awl-shaped, and, like the legs, 

 black. The female bird and the young are less varied 

 in colour. The Wheatear hides its nest away in heaps 

 of stones, and crevices of the earth, and is most discreet 

 as a rule in ensuring its safety. It lays five eggs, 

 occasionally seven, which are usually of a uniform pale- 

 blue colour, sometimes faintly dotted. 



