20 WHINCHAT. 



bird. The plumage on the upper part of the body is 

 a light ashen grey, mottled with reddish brown ; the 

 chin and throat are yellowish white ; breast yellowish 

 brown ; and the wings almost black. Insects and grubs 

 form his favourite food, and he is not averse to fruit 

 when he can get it. 



The nest is made in May, built of grass and roots, 

 lined with moss, hair and feathers. It is not always easily 

 found, for the birds like to hide it well away out of 

 sight. Far away under a projecting piece of rock, in a 

 hole in a tree, or in a crevice in an old stone wall ; 

 these are the places to look for it. It also not infre- 

 quently places it in a deserted rabbit burrow, and 

 Seebohm tells us that another favourite spot is on the 

 moors between the blocks of peat which have been 

 cut and are stacked up in heaps ready to be taken 

 away. 



The eggs, four to seven in number, are a long oval 

 in shape, and of a delicate pale blue colour ; it is said 

 that their flavour is delicious, and that they are often 

 recommended for invalids ; folk must be very far gone 

 if they require nothing more substantial than a Wheat- 

 ear's egg. The flesh of the bird also is considered 

 delicate food, and on their arrival in this country, they 

 are sometimes caught in large numbers and sold for 

 the table. 



WHINCHAT. 



PRATINCOLA RUBETRA. 



Family PASSERIDVE. Sub-family TURDIN^E. Genus PRATINCOLA. 

 Grass Chat Furze Chat. 



This bird is found all over England, and in some parts 

 is common. In Ireland it is rare, and in Scotland it 



