SONG BIRDS OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



is most food for them, and nestle under whatever 

 suits their purpose best. They love a dripping 

 sky and misty atmosphere, because these are 

 favourable to the growth and also to the ap- 

 pearance of those earth-worms which form their 

 principal! food." They likewise feed on flies 

 and pother insects, which they catch as they run 

 along. 



" It is a very lively and interesting species," says 

 Mr. Sweet. " In a wild state they are chiefly 

 to be found on hills or commons, and very fre- 

 quently in parks and rabbit-warrens : in some 

 counties they are so plentiful that some hundred 

 dozens are caught annually by the shepherds, 

 who sell them for the sake of their flesh, which 

 is very delicious, particularly in autumn, when 

 they become very fat." 



The song of this bird (observes Montagu) is 

 pleasingly varied ; is uttered not unfrequently on 

 the wing, hovering over the female in the court- 

 ing season, and displaying its tail in a very singu- 

 lar manner by an expansion of the feathers. Its 

 flight is smooth and rapid, but near the surface 

 of the ground ; and it commonly alights upon the 

 top of a small hillock, stone, or wall. 



In confinement (Mr. Sweet says) they are almost 

 continually in song, and sing by night as well as 

 day : they have a very pleasant, variable and 

 agreeable song, different from all other birds ; and 

 sometimes it is very loud, and they continue it 

 a great length of time, — not continually breaking 



