S. ienant/ie, Lath. xi:at:the, I.in. VitVora xnanthe, Ray, &c. Saxicola onanthe, Bechst. Tern. Wheat-ear, White-rumped Wheat-ear, White-rump, Grey Wheat-ear of Pennant. Prov. Fallow-Finch, Fallow Smith, White-tail, Chicken, Hedge-Chicker, Chack-bird, Snorter, &c. C'hack, or Check, of the Scots. Back hoary; forehead, eyebrows, rump, and base of the tail, white; a black band through the eyes ; the length is nearly six inches and a half, and the w eight about six drachms and a half. It is a native of Europe, Asia, and Africa. In Sweden, it appears with the blowing of the wood ane mone; i t Orkney, it arrives in April. an) disappears in winter, notwithstanding the persecution of old and young, who, from some wanton prejudice, or aversion, destroy as many, both of the birds and of the eggs, as happen to come within their reach. The males, usually preceded by the females about ten days or a fortnight, arrive on the shores of England in March, or the beginning of April, and from that time till late in May. About the end of Sep tember, they assemble and depart, the last flight retiring in October. When the season is mild, a few remain throughout the winter. Though dispersed in small groups over the island, they chiefly abound in certain districts of the coasts of Sussex snd Hampshire. In Greenland, they frequent rivulets, and feed on worms, among the graves, for which reason they are abhorred by the natives. In general, they are partial to high countries, upland plains, and downs. They dart on their insect food by a rapid succession of short hops. If approached, or dis turbed, they move from one clod to another, always flying low, and never enter the woods, nor perch higher than the hedges or bushes. When seated, they wag their tail, and chirp with a sound, which Buffon expresses by titreu, titeru, and when they fly, they seem to pronounce, with a stronger voice, far, far, far, far, in rapid succession. They breed under tufts and clods, in newly ploughed fields, under stones, in fallow grounds, near quarries, in old rabbit burrows, or in holes in stone fences. The nest is neatly constructed of moss, or tender grass, and lined with feathers, or wool, having a sort of cover placed above it, and being stuck to the stone or clod under which the fa bric is formed. The eggs, which are commonly five or six, are of a light bluish-white, with a circle of duller blue at the larger end. The female incubates with so much ardour, that she may be frequently taken on the nest ; and, like other vigilant brooders, loses all the feathers on the middle of the stomach. The male not only relieves her about noon, but incessantly watches for her safety, and that of the nascent family ; fetching ants and flies, making a chat tering noise on the approach of danger, and running or flying before a passenger, endeavouring to attract notice, till the person has got to a sufficient distance, when he re turns, by a circuit, to the nest. He sings very sweetly, and, not unfrequcntly, on wing, hovering over his mate, and sometimes displaying his tail in a singular manner.
The average number of these birds annually taken in the neighbourhood of Eastbourne has been computed at upwards of 1800 dozen, and 84 dozen are recorded to have been captured on the South Downs, by a single shepherd, in one day. They are caught by placing two tufts on edge, in the form of the letter T ; at each end a small horse-hair noose is fastened to a stick, which the birds, either in search of food, or on the appearance of a hawk, or the motion of a cloud, get under for shelter, and are certain to be en tangled in the noose. These traps are always set on St. James's day, the 25th of July, and the greatest number of birds arc taken during the prevalence of a westerly wind, against which they fly. They are mostly young ones ; and, early in the spring, a few old birds only are to be seen. In Mr. Pennant's time they were sold at the rate of sixpence per dozen ; but now the charge is from five to fifteen shillings for the same number, owing not only to the depreciation of money, but to the crowds of visitors that resort from the metropolis and elsewhere to the coast of Sussex in the bathing season. It was also the custom for the inhabitants in the neighbourhood of the traps, to visit them, take out the birds, and leave a penny for the shepherd, which was never touched by any other person ; but such indications of pastoral simplicity and honesty have passed away. Many of these birds, which are some times called English Ortolans, are pickled, and sent up to the London poulterers, and many 'are potted.
Wheat-ears,', remarks Mr. Pennant, 44 are much fatter in a rainy season than in a dry one ; for they not only feed on insects, but on earth-worms, which come out of the ground in greater numbers in wet weather than in dry." S. inzitatris, Oenanthe Vieil. Motacilla ina tatrix, Gmel. Mimic Warbler. Forehead, eyebrows, throat, fore part of the neck, under part of the body, and upper-tail coverts, white; top of the head, bill, feet, tail, and wings, black. The colours of the female are less pure and vivid. The economy of this bird is very analogous to that of the preceding; but it is, moreover, endowed with a remarkable imitative propensity, insomuch that it can counterfeit the crowing of the cock, the clucking of the hen, the cackling of geese, the bleating of sheep, the barking of dogs, &c. It is a native of Africa, and the
Dutch colonists call it Nightingale.
S. rubicola, Lath. Tern. Motacilla rubicola, Lin.
Red-Breast, Robin Red-Breast, Red-Breast Warbler, or Ruddock. Grey, with the throat and breast ferrugi nous.
Although this species is familiar to the observation of mankind, it is still undetermined whether it belongs to the migratory or stationary class of birds. Scopoli as serts that it statedly visits and quits Carniola ; and Iluffon was of opinion that it migrates individually, but not in flocks. As the severity of the season chiefly forces them on our notice, there can be no doubt that many of them, at least, remain with us during the winter ; but it is not improbable that others, on the reduction of their insect food, may repair to more congenial latitudes. If, however, they change their quarters singly, and not in troops, the circumstance must be regarded as very anomalous. Their habits, however, are naturally solitary ; and they guard their respective domestic circles with pugnacious jealousy, insomuch, indeed, that two of a different brood are never seen on the same bush or tree. They breed in spring under the new spread foliage, and make their nest about the beginning of April, near the ground, on the roots of young trees, on herbs that are able to support it, or on some bush or out-house. intermixing with hair and oak-leaves, and lining these materials with feathers. After it is built, the bird will often strew leaves over it, reserving only a narrow winding entrance under the heap, and closing even the mouth of the nest with a leaf, when she goes abroad. The eggs, which generally vary in number from four to seven, are of a dirty white, with waving spots and streaks of rust-colour, and cinereous. During the whole time of incubation, the male cheers and soothes his mate with his sweet, delicate, and tender warbling, enlivened by some brilliant modulations, and broken by gracefully melting accents. The red-breast is partial to shady and humid abodes, feeds in the spring on worms and insects, which it hunts skilfully and nimbly, fluttering like a butterfly about a leaf on which it per ceives a fly ; and on the ground, it advances by small leaps, and darts on its prey, clapping its wings. It takes a worm, by one extremity, in its bill, and beats it on the ground until the inner part comes away, and then, seiz ing it, in the same manner, by the other end, it cleanses the outer part, which alone it eats. In autumn and the vintage season, when it is fattest, it likewise eats black berries, grapes, sorbs, &c. It is one of the most wakeful of birds, commencing the music of the groves at early dawn, protracting it to the latest hour, and fluttering about in the evening. Owing to its restlessness or curi osity, it is easily decoyed, being attracted by similated sounds, and hurrying on every kind of snare. It will often approach almost within reach of a person's hand, and seems to take pleasure in accompaning the traveller through the forest. In every country of Europe it pre fers the woods and mountains for its spring and sum mer residence; but on the approach of cold, and when thick snow covers the ground, it courts the habitations of man. In November, 1788, an individual of this species, shivering with cold, pecked on the outside of M. Gerar din's windows, and when admitted, perched without cere mony on the back of an elbow chair near the fire. Its first exertions were to snap at some flies, which had been kept alive by the heat of the room ; and during the rest of winter it lived very contentedly on crumbs of bread, and little bits of boiled beef. Every morning at day-break it saluted the family with a song, which was sometimes pro longed for hours together. As a proof of its familiarity, M. Gerardin mentions, that when he was writing at his desk, it would hop on the paper, or alight on his left hand. On the return of spring the window was allowed to be opened, and three days after his gentle and playful guest took final leave, and fled directly to the forest. Instances are likewise on record of red-breasts returning, for sue cessiv e winters, to houses in which they were treated with kindness, and of their building their nest, and rearing their young, in the bustle of people at work. Its song is the more valuable, as it is occasionally heard even in win ter and the earliest part of spring. So quick, too, are its powers of imitation, that a young red-breast, bred under a very fine nightingale, which already began to be out of song, and was perfectly mute, in less than a fortnight, sang three parts of four of the nightingale's notes. The red-breast is likewise serviceable to mankind by the de struction which it occasions of hurtful insects. In Lor raine, where these birds abound, they are taken by the fowlers, and packed up for the Parisian market, being in great request among the lovers of delicate fare ; and yet the inhabitants of Lorraine conceive that they have com pletely lost their relish if kept more than twenty-four hours.