178 sylvian. 



of Sussex, where, until then, they are scarcely met with." The 

 young birds are stated, by Mr. Stewart, to remain a month or six 

 weeks longer than the old. 



Throughout our wild mountain-pastures and turf -bogs, as well 

 as the rabbit-burrows, sand-hills, and rocks, that skirt the coast, 

 the wheatear is found in its season, and in the first-mentioned lo- 

 calities, where, even at the most genial period of the year, we. see 

 but few of the feathered tribe, is highly attractive, from the beauty 

 of its plumage, lively habits, and variously uttered song. In the 

 other localities too, we see but few birds in summer, but with the 

 ever-living sea in view, the want of them is not felt, as in the moun- 

 tain solitude. I have walked in the middle of July, over the 

 marine sand-hills of Magilligan from east to west, a distance 

 of about ten miles, and met only with wheatears, larks, tit- 

 larks, and grey-linnets. About artificial embankments, and in 

 populous neighbourhoods, the wheatear will sometimes come 

 under our notice : — at the outer dock-yard of Belfast we have 

 even seen it, robin-like, perched on piles of timber. In its wild 

 haunts around this town, it has become much scarcer of late years, 

 and has deserted some places altogether. The situation of 

 the nest varies according to the haunts, being in old stone walls, 

 on the ground, among debris of rocks, &c. In the last, it may be 

 found about the Giant's Causeway, where the species is numerous. 

 I have been much interested in witnessing their flight here in the 

 middle of June; when, from a considerable height, they descended 

 with motionless wings to the precipitous rocks contiguous to their 

 nests : the body drooping below the wings, and the breast 

 puffed out, impart to them a very singular appearance. The 

 wheatear is not specially looked after for the table in the north of 

 Ireland; for which purpose, indeed, the species does not appear 

 in sufficient numbers.* Eutty, in his Natural History of the 

 county of Dublin, has remarked that " it is excellent food, and 

 very fat, and for its delicacy is by some called the Irish ortolan" 

 (vol.i. p. 313). 



* Mr. St. John, too, informs us in his 'Wild Sports of the Highlands' that it is never 

 sought after in Morayshire, p. 140. 



