522 WHEAT-EAR WARBLER. Class II. 



edges of hills, especially those that are fenced 

 with stone walls. They breed in the latter, in 

 old rabbet burrows, cliffs, and frequently under 

 old timber : their nest is large, made of dried 

 grass, rabbet's down, a few feathers, and horse 

 hair ; and they lay from six to eight eggs, of a 

 light blue color. 



They grow very fat in autumn, and are 

 esteemed a delicacy. Their chief autumnal 

 rendezvous in Sussex is about Eostbourn, where 

 they are taken by the shepherds in great num- 

 bers, in snares made of horse hair, placed under 

 a long turf; being very timid birds, the motion 

 of a cloud, or the appearance of a hawk, will 

 drive them for shelter into those traps. The 

 numbers annually ensnared in that district 

 alone, amount to about 1840 dozen, which sell 

 usually at sixpence per dozen ; and what ap- 

 pears very extraordinary, the numbers that re- 

 turn the following year do not appear to be 

 lessened, as we are assured by a very intelli- 

 gent person resident near that place. The sea- 

 son is in July and August, in which more or 

 less are taken, according to the warmth of 

 these months. The reason of their being so 

 numerous in the neighborhood of Eostbourn 

 arises from its abounding with a certain fly 

 which frequents the adjacent hills, for the sake 





