56 



The Stonechat is certainly only a summer visitor with 

 us, though it is said to be a resident in many parts of the 

 country. 



Our Marlborough downs, thickly sprinkled with Grey- 

 Wethers and with stunted thorn bushes, offer great 

 attractions to this and the two following species. There 

 are, therefore, an abundance of them, though from some 

 unknown cause the records concernino- them are but few. 



From whence the derivation of the name Horse Matcher 

 is obtained I am unable to say ; I have never heard it out 

 of Wiltshire. 



Saxicola rubetra. 



WJdnchat. 

 LOCAL na:me. egg observed. 



F^i/rze Ghat. May 22nd. 1865. 



May 16th, 1866. 

 June 13th, 1867. 

 April 24th, 1869. 

 1870. 

 On the downs towards Overton lies a deep valley of great 

 geological and archseological interest, for it is full of Grey- 

 Wethers, and it also possesses the cromlech locally called 

 the " Devil's Den." Among the boulders are thorns, 

 brambles, &c. Here the three species, the Stonechat, 

 Whinchat, and Wheatear may be seen in abundance. 



