THE WHIN-CHAT. 175 



bluish-green colour, but faintly speckled with very light brown : 

 they are sometimes six or seven in number. Plies, coleopterous 

 insects, and caterpillars, were the chief food in the stomachs of 

 these birds examined by me. 



Mr. Macgillivray observes, that the whin-chat generally arrives 

 about a month later than the wheatear, "and in the south of 

 Scotland seldom makes its appearance before the end of April, 

 while it is stated to arrive in the south of England about the 

 middle of that month," vol. ii. p. 276. Even earlier than this 

 latter period it has been met with about Belfast, but I do not pos- 

 sess sufficient data on which to decide its average arrival. It is 

 considerably later however, than that of the wheatear. The 

 earliest and latest seen by me in the neighbourhood of the town 

 just named, were observed in the same year, 1827, when they 

 appeared on the 3rd of April, and remained until the 1st of 

 October. In 1846, I observed them on the 8th of April, a few 

 days before which they were seen about the mountains of Mourne. 

 At the end of April, 1848, they were met with in the former 

 locality. Sir Wm. Jardine with reference, it may be presumed, to 

 Dumfries-shire, remarks, that this species is more common than 

 the stone-chat, — "in some districts and seasons occurring in im- 

 mense abundance," Brit. Birds, vol. ii. p. 110. In no part of 

 Ireland have I seen the whin-chat numerous, and compared with 

 the stone-chat, it is very scarce. Three or four pair in a 

 forenoon's walk, are about the most that will be seen at the 

 beginning of the season in the north. In similar numbers as in 

 this latter country, I have observed it in Holland, France, and 

 Italy. One flew on board H.M.S. Beacon, on the 26th of April, 

 1841, when nearly 90 miles from Zante, and 130 from Navarino: 

 the next day another came to the vessel when about 45 miles from 

 Zante, and 60 from the Morea. 



