WHEAT-EAR. 
41 
difficult to find, and Avlien discovered still more difficult to 
obtain. The eggs are usually six in number. 
The Wheat-ear moves with a smooth and rapid flight; it 
is never seen to alight upon a tree, rarely upon a low bush 
or hedge ; but generally rests itself upon a hillock or mole- 
heap, on a stone or embankment. It is a careful, and watch¬ 
ful bird, and Avhen perched as just described, frequently turns 
its head to the right and left, Avhen the black stroke which 
passes through the eye forming a horizontal line with the 
dark beak, forms a very distinctive character. It is con¬ 
tinually on the alert, and on the least alarm flits away. It is 
only under cover of a hedge or bank that an observer can 
approach within a fcAv feet of it. 
The song of the Wheat-ear is varied, soft, and pleasing, 
and frequently continued unintemiptedly for a considerable 
time, and in the breeding season is sometimes uttered when 
hovering on the wing. When caged, it is said to sing almost 
throughout the year. 
In Sussex and other counties, where these birds abound 
in such vast numbers at the periods of their migration, they 
are taken in traps for the table, and being at that time in 
excellent condition, are esteemed very delicious eating. In 
September they begin to retire from this country, and great 
numbers assemble on the downs of the southern coast for that 
purpose : nevertheless, stragglers are occasionally seen much 
later in the season, some having been noticed in November 
and December. 
We have seen this bird in Surrey during the breeding- 
season in various open situations suited to its habits, such 
as Box Hill and its vicinity, St. George’s Hill, Burwood 
Common, etc., and on the open level plains also in Mid¬ 
dlesex that border on the Thames we have observed large 
parties resting during their autumnal migration, at which time 
the greater part of them were in their autumn or rufous 
featliering. 
