106 BIRDS OF DAM AM A LAND. 



with great swiftness ; but now and then it may be seen 

 perched on a stone raised a few feet above the level of 

 the plain. Its flight is a kind of alternate dip and rise, 

 and never extends far at a time. 



The food of this species consists of small insects ; its 

 eggs are laid on the ground in a small excavation sheltered 

 by a stone or bush. 



Measurements of a male : — 



in. lin. 



Entire length .... ... 5 9 



Length of folded wing . ..38 

 „ tarsus .... ..12 



„ middle toe 7 



„ tail 2 2 



„ bill . . . 11 



In the adult of this Wheatear the head, auriculars, 

 neck, and back are drab tinted with fawn, the lower part 

 of the back being more strongly tinted than the upper ; 

 a streak over the eye, the chin, throat, breast, belly, 

 under wing-coverts, sides, vent, under and upper tail- 

 coverts, and part of the rump are all more or less white 

 tinted with pale fawn ; the wings are grey, with the 

 outer vanes, shafts, and extremities of the primaries 

 brown, and the upper parts narrowly margined with 

 fawn-white, the wing-coverts, secondaries, and tertials 

 being more broadly margined and also tipped with this 

 colour ; the tail is white, with the posterior third brown 

 margined with fawn-white and tipped with grey; the 

 bill is brown, the legs, toes, and claws black. 



The young bird resembles the adult, but the upper 

 parts and sides of the head are mottled with brown ; the 

 breast is also mottled, the rest of the underparts are 



