t 44 THE NATURAL HISTORY 
turns to his fituation. Wheat Ears feem impatient 
of cold ; and if any fcvere frofls happen after their 
arrival, it is fatal to many. They prefer high, 
and dry fituations. When they are fat, they are 
delicate food. They are taken in great numbers 
in hair noofes, by the fhepherds about Eaftbourn 
in SufTex. The fhepherds cut out a turf, and lay 
it along by the fide, and over the trench, made 
by the removal of the turf; leaving only a little 
hollow, in which the noofe is placed ; the Wheat 
Ear with a view to find worms and perhaps 
to hide itfelf, goes into the noofe. The ap¬ 
pearance of a bird of prey, or the fhadow of a 
cloud, are fufficient to frighten him into this fup- 
pofed fhelter; the number taken in that neigh¬ 
bourhood every year, amounts to 1840 dozen : the 
reafon why they are fo numerous there is becaufe 
that fituation abounds with a certain fly, which 
for the fake of the wold thyme frequents the ad¬ 
jacent hills. They migrate in Auguft or Sep¬ 
tember, and go in little flocks ; they are natu¬ 
rally folitary, for they difperfe as foon as they ar¬ 
rive, the male and female only aflociati'ng toge¬ 
ther. They feed on infects, and earth worms. 
The 
