flattened at the base, where it is beset with bristles ; irides 
dark hazel ; legs black ; the young are of a greyish colour, 
sspeckled like the young of the Redbreast and Redstart, ^ 
and do not acquire their full plumage till the second year. 
The Wheatear is dispersed over most parts of Great 
Britain, frequenting open places, as sheep walks, commons, 
and the sea shore, feeding on worms and insects ; it builds 
its nest according to circumstances, either in a hole in a 
wall or tree, or in the ground, and as it is more or less 
exposed, so is the greater or lesser care taken in its con- 
struction ; it is composed of dry stalks, moss, and fibres, 
intermixed with wool and hair, with which it is abundantly 
lined ; it lays five or six light blue eggs. 
In most places this species is migratory, and many leave 
this country on the approach of winter ; others either con- 
stantly reside here, or only make a partial migration. On 
the south side of London, individuals may be met with at 
most seasons of the year, particularly in extensive garden 
grounds, in the neighbourhood of Battersea, Peckham, and 
Deptford. On the downs of Sussex they are at certain 
periods taken in great numbers, for furnishing the London 
markets. 
This bird is for some unknown cause pursued with the 
greatest inveteracy in some of the Orkney Islands ; old and 
young, nest and eggs, are destroyed, without any ostensible 
cause. The inhabitants of some of these islands call them 
Sleepers, and say that they are frequently found in a torpid 
state during the winter. 
