Chat. INSESSORES. SAXICOLA. 181 



WHEAT-EAR. 



Saxicola CEsasthe, Bechst. 

 PLATE XLVIII. Fig. 1. 



Saxicola (Enanthe, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 



SyMa (Enanthe, Lath. Ind. Ornith. v. 2. p. 529. 79. 



Motacilla (Enanthe, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 332. 15 Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 966. sp. 15. 



Retz. Linn. Fau. Suec. p. 259. sp. 242 Rati Syn. p. 75. A. 1 — Will. 



p. 168. t. 41. 



Vittaflora, Briss. 3. p. 449. 33. 



Le Moteux ou Vitrec, Buff. Ois. v. 5. p. 237 Id. PL Enl. 554. f. 1. 2. 



Traquet Moteux, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. v. 1. p. 237. 



Grauriickiger, Steinschmatzer, Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. v. 1. p. 251. B. 



Wheat-Ear, Fallow Smich, or White TaU, Br. Zool. 4. No. 157 — Arct. 



Zool. 2. p. 420. v.— Lath. Syn. 4. p. 465. 95 Id. Supp. p. IS^.—LewirCs 



Br. Birds, 3. t. 110 Mont. Ornith. Diet Will. (Ang.) p. 133. t. 41.— 



Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 9 Wale. Syn. 2. t. 241 Low's Faun. Oread, p. 72. 



White Vi\xav^,'[Bewick's Br. Birds, v. 1. p. t. 329. male. 



The Wheat-Ear, which is the largest of the British mem- Periodical 

 bers of this genus, is migratory. It is among the earhest of 

 our residents during the summer, generally appearing about 

 the middle of March, and is also one of the latest in retiring 

 to a warmer climate. 



Its polar migration extends, in our direction, as far as the 

 Orkneys, the bird being enumerated in Low's Fauna of those 

 islands. It is rather numerously distributed through all the 

 open districts of the kingdom, particularly on the Downs of 

 Sussex and Dorsetshire, and on the dry sand-banks that edge 

 various parts of our coasts. In this latter locality, it builds 

 in the rabbit burrows that so generally occin*. — Upon moors Nest, «&c. 

 and downs it makes its nest under large stones, in old quar- 

 ries, or in the interstices of dry walls. This is composed of 

 moss and grass, intermixed with wool, and lined with the 

 last mentioned material, or rather (if it can be obtained) with 

 hair. The eggs, five or six in number, are of a pure bluish- 

 green colour. The Wheat-Ear is a bird of handsome form, 

 but of very wild and timid nature. Upon its first arrival, 

 and also previous to its equatorial migration, it is extremely 



