THE STONE-CHAT. 173 



It occasionally appears close to the town. In the north of 

 the county of Antrim, I have remarked it, like the titlark, fre- 

 quenting the wildest and bleakest localities. It is said, too, to be 

 common in the island of Bathlin.* By the middle of February, 

 its song may be heard ; at the end of April, I have seen the female 

 carry food to her young. My friend at Cromac has found its 

 nests in low bushes, and met with several on the ground about 

 the roots of furze, where they were screened from observation 

 by long grass. Mr. Poole remarks it to be an exceedingly wary 

 bird, and that he has sometimes vainly concealed himself behind 

 a thick hedge for a considerable time, with the hope of tracking 

 the parent to its nest, and at length had to give up the attempt 

 in despair. He adds, that the nest is placed towards the lower 

 branches of a furze bush; is composed of dry grass, roots, and 

 wool; that he has seen the eggs on the 30th of April, and once 

 so late as the 1 2th of July. Its resembling the flycatcher in 

 darting at flies from its perch, and returning to its former station 

 after it has secured them, is noticed by my correspondent. The 

 stomachs of two of these birds sent to me in December and Jan- 

 uary, were entirely filled with minute coleopterous insects. 



Tern mi nek states, that the stone-chat is resident in Africa, 

 but in Europe is a bird of passage : the mfld winters of Ireland 

 however, induce it to remain constantly in tins island. I have 

 never observed its "arriving or departing at the usual seasons of 

 spring and autumn/' as Sir. W. Jardine has done in Scotland, 

 such birds, he remarks, coming "either from the continent, or per- 

 forming a partial migration from other parts of our own island," — 

 some, indeed, are said to remain in Scotland during the whole year. 

 This author continues : — " The stone-chat is a species not nearly so 

 abundant as either of the preceding (wheatear and whin-chat), f 

 and frequents localities of a more wild and secluded character: 

 extensive whin-covers, the skirts of muirland districts, or the 

 vicinity of the coast, where whin or brushwood prevail." Brit. 



* Dr. J. D. Marshall. 



f Mr. Hewitson makes the same remark, without referring to any part of England 

 or Scotland; hut probably the north of England is alluded to. Eggs, Brit. Birds, p. 79. 



