﻿BIRDS. 
  

  

  77 
  

  

  food. 
  When 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  departure 
  draws 
  near, 
  the 
  birds 
  

   congregate 
  in 
  small 
  flocks, 
  and 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  gardens 
  

   feeding 
  on 
  the 
  late 
  fruits, 
  finally 
  leaving 
  about 
  October. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  0. 
  S. 
  A., 
  p. 
  419, 
  under 
  the 
  parish 
  of 
  Strichen, 
  is 
  the 
  

   following: 
  "Blackbirds, 
  Ring-Ouzel, 
  and 
  Dobchick, 
  which 
  used 
  

   to 
  come 
  only 
  in 
  winter 
  with 
  great 
  flocks 
  of 
  snow-birds 
  and 
  

   Fieldfares, 
  remain 
  now 
  and 
  build 
  their 
  nests 
  ; 
  the 
  snow-birds 
  

   and 
  Fieldfares 
  leave 
  the 
  country 
  in 
  May." 
  Was 
  this 
  coming 
  

   of 
  the 
  Ring-Ouzel 
  " 
  only 
  in 
  winter 
  " 
  merely 
  the 
  bird 
  returning 
  

   from 
  the 
  hills 
  to 
  the 
  coast 
  in 
  its 
  autumnal 
  migration 
  ? 
  

  

  Genus 
  SAXICOLA, 
  Bechstein. 
  

  

  Saxicola 
  oenanthe, 
  Linn. 
  Wheatear. 
  "Stane 
  Chackert." 
  

   "White 
  Rump." 
  

  

  One 
  of 
  oar 
  most 
  common 
  and 
  regular 
  summer 
  visitors 
  ; 
  to 
  

   be 
  seen 
  alike 
  about 
  cultivated 
  fields, 
  moorland 
  pastures, 
  and 
  

   heath-clad 
  hills, 
  where 
  it 
  breeds 
  freely, 
  making 
  its 
  nest 
  in 
  

   stone 
  or 
  turf 
  dykes 
  and 
  cairns 
  of 
  stones. 
  Indeed, 
  in 
  and 
  

   around 
  old 
  hill 
  forts, 
  where 
  once 
  rang 
  the 
  clash 
  of 
  arms 
  and 
  

   the 
  loud 
  rough 
  voice 
  of 
  ancient 
  warriors, 
  the 
  only 
  sign 
  of 
  life 
  

   now 
  seen 
  by 
  the 
  curious 
  visitor 
  or 
  antiquary 
  is 
  the 
  lively 
  form 
  

   of 
  the 
  " 
  White 
  Rump 
  " 
  jerking 
  its 
  tail, 
  flitting 
  from 
  stone 
  to 
  

   stone, 
  uttering 
  the 
  while 
  its 
  sharp 
  " 
  chick-chack." 
  

  

  Genus 
  PRATINCOLA, 
  Koch. 
  

  

  Pratincola 
  rubetra, 
  Linn. 
  Whinchat. 
  "Fun 
  Chackert." 
  

   "Fun 
  (Whin) 
  Untie." 
  

  

  Common, 
  and, 
  to 
  some 
  extent, 
  resident 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  numbers 
  

   are 
  considerably 
  added 
  to 
  in 
  spring. 
  This 
  bird 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  

   seen 
  over 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  " 
  Dee," 
  chiefly 
  on 
  moors 
  where 
  

   broom 
  and 
  whin 
  grow. 
  

  

  Pratincola 
  rubicola, 
  Linn. 
  Stone-Chat. 
  

  

  Like 
  the 
  preceding, 
  the 
  Stone-Chat 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  on 
  the 
  

   furze-covered 
  moors 
  of 
  " 
  Dee," 
  where 
  a 
  few 
  remain 
  all 
  the 
  

   year 
  round 
  ; 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  generally 
  distributed, 
  for 
  in 
  some 
  

   localities 
  which 
  seem 
  suitable 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  found. 
  The 
  

   district 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  Stone 
  - 
  Chat 
  has 
  been 
  observed 
  in 
  

  

  F 
  

  

  